Parents Allegedly Murder Daughter, Keep Body For Exorcism Ritual

Four people, including the parents of the child, have been arrested over their alleged involvement in the death of a 7-year-old girl four months ago in the Central Java province of Indonesia.

Police of the Temanggung Regency said that prior to her death, Aisyah Latifatul was tortured in her home in the village of Bejen by her own parents, Marsidi and Suwartinah, Indonesian news network iNews reported. The two were arrested along with a supposed traditional healer, Hariyono, and his brother, Budiyono.

According to authorities, Aisyah died in a ritual that was intended to eliminate the influence of a supernatural being that her parents believed possessed her and made her "naughty." Police said they believe this was suggested by Hariyono, a report by local newspaper Kompas said.

The ritual was carried out multiple times and involved drowning the child's head in a bathtub filled with water. Police said that Aisyah died in the last ritual that was carried out in early January.

Aisyah's parents did not bury her remains and instead kept her body in a room at their home for four months because they believed Hariyono would be able to bring her back to life.

"Due to the influence of this (healer,) the father and mother of the victim were sure that their child would live and lose their naughty nature," senior police inspector Setyo Harmawan was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Authorities were alerted to the killing when Aisyah's grandfather, Saturno, and local village officials reported her dead body on the night of May 16. Police responded on the same day and discovered the girl's remains before arresting the four.

According to police, the body was dry and only had skin and bones upon inspection.

Neighbors were unable to smell the corpse because Aisyah's parents reportedly always sprayed air freshener and camphor, police said. Additionally, the room was also tightly closed, and there was a significant distance between their home and the neighbor's house.

Police are still investigating the incident, interviewing witnesses and conducting an autopsy of Aisyah's body, as per iNews.