Jury sworn in for alleged exorcism death trial

The trial of nine members of a Lower Hutt family charged over the death of during an alleged makutu, or curse-lifting, ceremony is expected to last up to six weeks, jurors were told today.

The six women and three men pleaded not guilty in the High Court in Wellington to the manslaughter of 22-year-old Janet Moses.

One of the women and another man also denied ill-treating a 14-year-old causing her unnecessary suffering.

The prosecution will open its case this afternoon following legal argument about name suppression which the accused have at present.

Ms Moses is believed to have drowned during the apparent exorcism at her grandparents' home in Wainuiomata in October 2007 while around 40 members of her family looked on.

Justice Simon France told the jurors the trial was not about about whether or not they believed in exorcism.

It was whether an unlawful act had been committed.

- NZPA