Faith Healing Case
Japan Supreme Court
Keishu XVII No. 402 (Criminal) (1963)
- Written by Mary Katherine Cunningham, JD
Facts
The family of a mentally ill woman, Yoshiko, brought her to a Buddhist priestess (defendant) and asked the priestess to perform a ritual. The family believed Yoshiko was possessed by evil spirits that were the cause of her mental illness. The priestess performed the ritual, which was aimed at driving evil spirits out of Yoshiko. The priestess and the family burned incense, chanted prayers, and rubbed the woman’s body with prayer beads. When the woman resisted the ritual, the priestess and the family restrained her. The woman eventually died during the ritual. The government of Japan charged the priestess under Article 250 of the Penal Code of Japan with inflicting bodily injury that resulted in death, and the trial court convicted the priestess. The priestess appealed to the Osaka High Court, which upheld the lower court’s conviction. The priestess then appealed her conviction to the Japan Supreme Court.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Per curiam)
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