Religious sect sacrifice newborn child's life in Chile

A religious sect from Chile burned alive a three-day old baby because they thought the baby was an antichrist. Police have already arrested four people of the sect, including the mother of the child. The alleged leader is currently on the run.

A group of people allegedly from a religious sect staged a “healing ritual” in November near the town of Colliguay, Chile, and threw a newborn child into a bonfire whom they considered was an antichrist.

Police have detained four members of the group, but the alleged leader, Castillo Gaete, remains at large.

Castillo Gaete, the alleged leader of the sect who has been on the run since February, could be the father of the murdered baby, police told. He is accused of convincing the child’s mother to sacrifice the baby.

Concerns about the baby’s life were raised by doctors from the clinic where the child was born. The medical facility’s authorities reported to the police that the child had not been officially registered.

According to the investigators, members of the sect might have consumed ayahuasca, a potent hallucinogenic plant used for centuries by South American indigenous peoples, during their rituals.