Suffer the little children . . . again and again

It might be 2007, but many people have not progressed in thought past the dark ages. Once again, a little child is victim of the adults they trust to protect them. In today's news I read this story about a grandfather who was performing an exorcism on his little 3-year-old granddaughter and had the help of the child's 19-year-old mother who was in the room, naked and bloody and chanting some religious-type ritual chant to drive out demons. Fortunately, a relative alerted the police who came and used a stun gun on the grandfather to get him to stop choking the little girl, however it turned out badly for the grandfather. Police had to use the stun gun again and the man died.

Attempted exorcism on a 3-year-old child :

PHOENIX - Officers responding to a report of an exorcism on a young girl found her grandfather choking her and used stun guns to subdue the man, who later died, authorities said Sunday.

The 3-year-old girl and her mother, who was also in the room during the struggle between 49-year-old Ronald Marquez and officers, were hospitalized, police said. Their condition was unavailable.

The relative who called police said an exorcism had also been attempted Thursday.

“The purpose was to release demons from this very young child,” said Sgt. Joel Tranter.

Officers arrived at the house Saturday and entered when they heard screaming coming from a bedroom, Tranter said.

A bed had been pushed up against the door; the officers pushed it open a few inches and saw Marquez choking his bloodied granddaughter, who was crying in pain and gasping, Tranter said.

Naked woman found chanting

A bloody, naked 19-year-old woman who police later determined to be Marquez’s daughter and the girl’s mother was in the room, chanting “something that was religious in nature,” Tranter said.

The officers forced open the door enough for one to enter, leading to a struggle in which an officer used a stun gun on Marquez, Tranter said.

After the initial stun had no visible effect, another officer squeezed into the room and stunned him. The girl was freed and passed through the door to the relative, Tranter said.

Mother may be charged

Marquez was placed in handcuffs after a struggle with officers and initially appeared normal, but then stopped breathing, Tranter said. He could not be revived and was pronounced dead at a hospital.

The cause of death was not immediately known, and autopsy results probably will not be available for several weeks, Tranter said.

Tranter declined to identify Marquez’s daughter and granddaughter but said they lived in the house with Marquez.

The mother was not arrested, but police will consider criminal charges, Tranter said.

There was no phone listing at Ronald Marquez’s address.

Religion makes some people do the most damnable things.