Cult Leader In Kenya To Face Charges Of Murdering 191 Children
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A Kenyan court has ordered cult leader Paul Mackenzie and 30 associates to undergo mental health evaluations before being charged with the murder of 191 children. The court said Mackenzie, head of the Good News International Church, ordered his followers to starve themselves and their children to death so they could meet Jesus before the world ends.
Mackenzie was arrested in April last year after bodies were discovered in a forest near the Indian Ocean coast. His pre-trial detention has been extended on several occasions as investigations draw out.
According to the New York Times, Mackenzie had marketed Shakahola Forest of southeastern Kenya to his followers as an evangelical Christian sanctuary from what he claimed was the fast-approaching apocalypse. More than 400 bodies were exhumed from the forest.
However, Mackenzie denied the allegations. The judge, Mugure Thande, gave prosecutors until Feb. 6 to ensure he and his co-defendants are fit to stand trial.
Mackenzie and his co-accused will face 10 charges including murder, manslaughter and terrorism, AFP reported.
Content retrieved from: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/cult-leader-in-kenya-to-face-charges-of-murdering-191-children-4886961.