A woman and her elder daughter in southern China have received suspended prison sentences after a tragic incident in which a younger daughter died during a superstitious "exorcism" ritual, according to The South China Morning Post.

According to a report from the Shenzhen Municipal People's Procuratorate, the incident occurred in December last year in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

The mother, surnamed Li, and her elder daughter, both deeply involved in superstitious beliefs and practices involving telepathy and spiritual possession, believed that demons were attacking their family.

On the day of the incident, Li's younger daughter, also surnamed Xie, claimed she was possessed by a demon and requested an exorcism.

Li and her elder daughter attempted the ritual, which included pressing forcefully on the girl's chest and pouring water down her throat to induce vomiting. The girl initially said the ritual was helping and asked them to continue, as per SCMP.

The next morning, the younger Xie was found unconscious with blood coming from her mouth. Emergency services were called, but she was declared dead at the scene.

Source:Ndtv