Kosovo Man Beaten to Cleanse Evil Spirits

A Bosniak resident of Kosovo was beaten for four days straight by spiritual healers in the western town of Peja in order to rid his soul of evil spirits.

30-year-old Alen Agovic secretly called the police to his home after enduring prolonged violent treatment at the hands of the three healers, two from Montenegro and one from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who call themselves ‘experts of the soul’.

“They treated me like an animal”, he said to daily Koha Ditore, adding that he cried out during the beatings which occured "time after time in one of the rooms of the house” .

According to Alen, his mother Husnije Agovic and other members of his family were in  agreement that he should have his soul cleansed. Considering himself “a simple believer of classic Islam”, he mentioned that his mother and sister belong to a different sect.

Alen added that he believes the healers are members of a Wahhabi group. They were wearing short pants and had long beards.

Kosovo Police confirmed that the incident occurred and say they have detained the three spiritual healers involved in the crime.

“According to our initial investigation, it is believed that the mother of the victim, now a suspect, engaged the three suspects to heal her son, since, according to her, he was mentally sick from the power of spirits,”, police spokesperson Avni Gjevukaj said.

The three healers remain in custody while the mother was released, in accordance with regular procedure.

Alen insists that he does not feel sick and had not acted in an abnormal manner.

“I have no idea what the motives are for what they did”, he said.

(Reporting by Shega A’Mula)