Exorcism case teenager 'died from meningitis'

Acute meningitis caused the death of a 15-year-old who died following an exorcism, the government of Guyana said today.

Home affairs minister Clement Rohee released the results of the autopsy and said there was no evidence the girl died from anything but natural causes.

Assistant police commissioner Balram Persaud told the Associated Press no criminal charges are expected.

The girl died in March after her worried mother turned to a local pastor for help.

He treated her convulsions with an exorcism that lasted some five hours.

They later took her to a hospital, where she died.

Authorities ordered her body exhumed in April for an autopsy due to questions about the cause of her death.