Submitted by Constantine on
One of the most vicious poltergeist attacks recorded, the Jabuticabal Poltergiest case took place in Brazil, in the 1960s, about 200 miles north of São Paulo.
The strange experiences began in December 1965, when a respectable Catholic family was plagued with falling bricks that would appear out of nowhere. Since there was a pile of similar bricks was in their back garden the family felt as though someone was playing a prank on them. But when the falling bricks did not stop the family sought the help of their local priest, who preformed an exorcism on the house. The phenomena dis not cease, instead it got worse.
The family sought the help of a Spiritualist, a neighbor Joao Volpe who determined that Maria Jose Ferreira, an 11 year-old girl who was living at the house, was a natural medium and unwittingly and unknowingly enabled poltergeist phenomena to occur. She was known to have several invisble playmates. The Spiritualist offered let Maria live with him for a little while to solve the problem and the family agreed.
Several days passed quietly, but then stones began to appear and fly abourt the Volpe home whenever Maria was present. Volpe counted 312 stones, on of them weighing in at 3.7 kilograms (a little more than 8 pounds). Next eggs were thrown about and made to disappear. One day, a dozen eggs were placed inside the refrigerator and three eggs suddenly disappeared, only to reappear under a rooster in the backyard. The stones continued to appear and fall but they were now starting to hit people. Maria, started to discover her “imaginary” friends bringing her things. If she asked for sweets or small items they would materialize at her feet. Her invisible friends were amusing at first but soon they started to turn violent. Maria started to be slapped, bruised and bitten by her invisible friends on a daily basis. Objects were thrown at her, including chairs, a gas cylinder and even a large sofa. The attacks even continued when she was asleep.Cups and glasses would appear over her mouth and nose while she slept as though something were trying to smother her. The little girl was attacked with needles, which would appear deeply embedded in the flesh of her left heel. Once 55 needles were extracted at the same time. If her heel was bandaged, the bandages would be torn off. There may have been attempts at sexual violation.
The violence continued to escalate.
On March 14th, 1966, Maria’s clothing spontaneously caught fire while she was eating lunch at school, and at the exact same time the bedroom of the Volpe's burst into flames. Volpe was badly burned when he garbbed a pillow that was burning on the inside. The Volpe's kept Maria for about one year, trying to rid her of her affliction, but they were only able to lessen the phenomena, not eliminate them. Volpe took the girl to medium Chico Xavier, Brazil's best known medium, at his Spiritist Center in Uneraba. Through Chico, the spirits resonsible for the mayhem announced,
"She was a witch. A lot of people suffered and I died because of of her. Now we are making her suffer too." This implied that the girl had been a witch in a previous life and was being repaid by her angry victims.
Maria was treated with prayer and magnetic hand passes by Volpe's Home Circle. The worst of the phenomena abate, but the poltergeists still tossed about objects, especially fruits and vegetables.
Perhaps trhe attacks became too much for Maria or perhaps her unseen attackers somehow administered the final blow. At age 13, she returned to live with her mother. In 1970, she was found dead of an apparent suicide - she had consumed a soft drink laced with pesticide, dying instantly.
Volpe's report on the case was witnessed and signed by many respected people.
Excerpt from Ghosts and Spirits by Rosemary Ellen Guiley