November 23, 2015
On Thursday, a New Jersey appeals court upheld a decision to terminate a couple's parental rights to two Middlesex County children after authorities said their mother solicited a priest to perform an exorcism on them because she was "fighting an urge" to give the toddlers to the devil, according to NJ.com.
Authorities said the incident occurred when the children were 3 and 2 (they are now 7 and 6).
According to court documents, the mother was imprisoned twice, was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, reported hearing "bad" voices and experienced homicidal and suicidal thoughts.
The father had been convicted on aggravated assault and burglary charges.
The family also lacked permanent housing, the court documents claimed.
Read the full NJ.com report here.
