News of the weird

Voodoo dispute: Police in Irvington, New Jersey, are studying voodoo rituals in connection with a case of a woman who has charged a voodoo priest with attempting to murder her. Sheila DeGraff has told police that she went to Pierrot Charles in the hope that he could rid her body of evil spirits and stop her dead father from haunting her. The exorcism involved an alcohol-based perfume and some burning candles. When the alcohol caught fire, Ms DeGraff suffered severe burns. The lawyer for Haitian-born Charles denied that his client had set her on fire deliberately.

Snake dispute: A Malawian witch doctor has been charged in Johannesburg with dealing in endangered reptiles and theft under false pretences. The charge follows an altercation at a garage. He had reportedly arrived there to have his car repaired but also reached an agreement to rid the garage owner of any snakes. During a subsequent argument, however, he threatened to throw two poisonous snakes at the garage owner, who shot him in the foot and called the police.