High Court Rejects Bishop's Appeal Over Exorcism Death

The High Court rejected an appeal by a Zion Christian Church bishop who was jailed for the death of a congregant during an exorcism. Justice Ngoni Nduna ruled that religious healing rituals cannot override medical evidence proving the victim died from severe physical trauma. This landmark ruling directly challenges the legal impunity historically enjoyed by powerful religious leaders in Zimbabwe's influential apostolic and pentecostal sects. Human rights groups have long warned that unregulated faith-healing practices frequently lead to physical abuse, medical neglect, and preventable deaths. The judgment establishes a critical legal precedent, stripping religious institutions of their traditional defense of spiritual immunity during criminal prosecutions.