Autopsies in Kenya starvation cult case found some victims were strangled, beaten or suffocated
- Autopsies on dozens of bodies found in mass graves linked to a Kenyan cult that practised starvation found some of the victims were strangled, beaten or suffocated
- Paul Nthenge Mackenzie is accused of murder, kidnapping, and cruelty towards children for allegedly inciting cult followers to starve to death
Autopsies carried out on dozens of bodies found in mass graves linked to a Kenyan cult that practised starvation have found that some of the victims were strangled, beaten or suffocated, the authorities said.
The discovery of mass graves last month near the Indian Ocean coastal town of Malindi has shocked Kenyans, with children accounting for more than half of the 109 victims who were allegedly incited to starve to death by self-styled pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie.
Experts carried out 30 autopsies on Tuesday, adding to 10 postmortems performed a day earlier, with chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor saying that while starvation appeared to be the main cause of death, some victims appeared to have been murdered.
We could clearly see marks of someone who has been strangled and breaking of some bones in the neck
Out of 40 bodies in total, four – including two children – showed signs of suffocation, he said.
A third child appeared to have been hit in the head with a blunt object, he told reporters late Tuesday.
A fourth child was choked to death, he said, adding: “we could clearly see marks of someone who has been strangled and breaking of some bones in the neck.”
“We are certain that the child was strangulated.”
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Kenya cult autopsies reveal children died from starvation and asphyxiation
