Oct 31, 2007
Exorcism case: Trial adjourned as Mdm Valli weeps uncontrollably on
stand
By Jermyn Chow
THE woman suing the Redemptorist Order of Novena Church and its
priests and choir members - 51-year-old Madam Amutha Valli -
immediately buried her face in her hands and wept uncontrollably,
even before she could finish taking the oath in court on Wednesday
afternoon.
It was her first appearance in the Supreme Court since the trial
began a week ago - but it only lasted for less than an hour.
As her lawyer, Mr R.J Bajwa read out her 13-page affidavit to her,
she took great difficulty to reply between her sobbing, wiping her
tears with her handkerchief.
In between tears, Madam Valli said: 'Don't touch me...don't touch
me', before requesting to take her medication.
Her daughter, 22-year-old Subashini Jeyabal, was seen in court
shaking her head as her mother broke down.
Her inability to compose herself on the stand finally led Justice
Lee to adjourn the trial to Thursday.
Dressed in a blue wind breaker and using a walking stick, the
former national walker, who arrived accompanied by her maid, looked
much heavier than in the pictures published in papers over the last
week.
Madam Valli is suing for what she alleges was a botched exorcism
that left her with post-traumatic stress disorder, seeking
compensation from the Redemptorist Order that runs the Church, two
priests, and six church-goers involved in the ritual.
Earlier in the morning, the courtroom was already packed with many
curious members of the public hoping to catch a glimpse of Madam
Valli.
With the seats in the public gallery all snapped up, court
officials were even seen turning people away and advising them to
try their luck again after lunch.
Daughter grilled during cross-examination
Earlier, Madam Valli's 22-year-old daughter, Ms Subashini Jeyabal,
was grilled on the stand during her testimony.
During her cross-examination, Mr Denis Tan, lawyer for one of the
defendants, quizzed her on the exact locations of a statue where
she claimed her mother was praying before she fainted, and the room
where the supposed exorcism took place.
Doubts were also raised when Mr Tan said: 'It takes a very strong
and violent person to make such loud clanging sounds', referring to
Ms Jeyabal's claim that her mother 'rattled' the church gates as
she fainted on the night of August 10, 2004.
She was then taken to a room where she was forcefully confined and
subjected to exorcism rites by two priests, Father Simon Tan and
Father Jacob Ong.
Mr Tan's line of questioning had suggested that Ms Jeyabal was not
telling the truth, and had raised fierce objections from Madam
Valli's lawyer, Mr RJ Bajwa.
To this, Mr Tan said:' I am just testing her credibility.'
Mr Bajwa said Mr Tan was 'badgering the witness', but Justice Lee
Seiu Kin maintained that he would allow the 'rigorous
cross-examination' by both counsel as 'this trial is about finding
the truth'.
The afternoon session continued with Mr Tan continuing his attack
on Ms Jeyabal's s credibility, as he introduced a host of evidence
ranging from floor plans and videos to photos that contradicted her
claims.
But when Mr Tan explained that the position of the statue she had
earlier pointed out was wrong, she argued that 'it was a scam on
their (the priests) part' to make her out as a liar.
Courtroom commotion
Mr Bajwa also took issue with the public gallery, where there was
plenty of laughter and noise coming from those present. Mr Bajwa
said they were 'heckling the witness'.
This was taken very seriously by Justice Lee, who then warned
members of the public not to make any noise, as this would
intimidate the witness.
He added: 'If necessary, I will clear the gallery.'
The trial resumes on Thursday morning.
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