Five people were affected by bad spirits while performing a Maori exorcism ceremony in which a young woman drowned, a witness told the High Court at Wellington today.
Janet Moses, 22, died in a Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt, flat on October 12 2007, after water was forced into her mouth and eyes to flush out a demon.
Nine people, including five aunts and an uncle are charged with her manslaughter.
Alaina Wright, 20, daughter of one of the accused, said when a curtain was pulled back during the ceremony someone said it had allowed more evil spirits to enter the room.
Ms Wright said those affected could be identified as they were "just not being themselves".
"Mind you, none of us were ourselves," she said.
One of the five, a 14-year-old girl, was held down and water poured in her eyes and mouth.
Cigarette smoke was also blown in her eyes after someone said demons didn't like it, Ms Wright said.
Trident Turner, 18, who took part in the ceremony, told the court the girl struggled and told people to "piss off" asking: "Are you trying to kill me?"
Two people have been charged with wilful cruelty after the girl allegedly suffered severe eye injuries.
Mr Turner, who was the boyfriend of Ms Moses' cousin, could only recall four people being affected when evil spirits entered the room.
He said they were subjected to flushing rituals, with water poured over them and into their mouths.
Some grabbed water bottles themselves and drank, trying to make themselves vomit to help expel the demons.
However, the focus remained on Ms Moses, who the whanau believed had been cursed after a family member stole a concrete lion statue from a Greytown hotel, in the Wairarapa.
Tuhoe kaumatua Timi Rahi had initially helped treat Ms Moses, but told the family he had only been able to remove 1-1/2 of the three spirits inside her, Ms Wright said.
Returning the statue would remove another half of a spirit while the last one would be up to the family.
Mr Turner said he thought Ms Moses died around 8am after the ceremony was continued through the night.
He and two others attempted CPR. "(But) I think I was pushing down on the wrong place,'' he said.
"I was just trying to keep her eyes open, but they kept wanting to close."
He said the family sang a waiata Ms Moses had liked, and she was placed on the bed.
"Everybody just started crying."
Ms Wright said the adults, who had been in charge of the ceremony, decided there was no point calling an ambulance because "it was a spiritual matter" and paramedics would not be able to do anything.
The nine accused, who have all pleaded not guilty, are John Tahana Rawiri, 49, Georgina Aroha Rawiri, 50, Tanginoa Apanui, 42, Hall Jones Wharepapa, 46, Angela Orupe, 36, Gaylene Tangiohororere Kepa, 44, Aroha Gwendoline Wharepapa, 48, Alfred Hughes Kepa, 48, and Glenys Lynette Wright, 52.
