Two women from East Bridgewater were charged after performing a so-called "voodoo ritual on a 5-year-old girl, burning her in the 3rd degree and permanently disfiguring her," said the Massachusetts police.

The mother, a Haitian hairdresser, said she believed her two children, a 5-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy, behaved badly "because of evil spirits" and asked for help from two women Peggy LaBossiere (51) and Rachel Hilaire (40), to rid children of "the devil".

In his testimony, the little victim's brother told the police that his sister was tied up while the women were blowing fire on his face. He said they also slashed his little sister's arm by drawing blood and threatened to cut off her head with a machete.

The two women pleaded not guilty on January 29th to the charges of mayhem and assault, and told the police that they had only carried out "cleansing baths". The two women who denied having hurt or threatened the children will be brought to court on Wednesday.

The mother of two children, who is mentally ill and on treatment, has not been charged.

SL/ HaitiLibre