Czech police probe cult-related deaths in forest near Český Šternberk castle

Police are investigating the deaths of two members of a cult associated with a self-proclaimed healer from Kutná Hora, located in Central Bohemia. The news server iROZHLAS.cz reported today that the men, aged 56 and 59, died last August as a result of a forest ritual near Český Šternberk castle in the Benešov region. The ritual reportedly involved psychological strain and physical violence.

Vlasta Suchánková, spokeswoman for the Central Bohemian Police, confirmed that authorities were looking into the deaths of the two men, but did not confirm any link to the case of the self-proclaimed healer.

According to iROZHLAS.cz, the ritual spanned several days and included instances of physical violence. One of the men, aged 59, fell ill and began to collapse, prompting female members of the cult to transport him to the Kutná Hora swimming pool and call emergency services. Sadly, their efforts to save him were in vain.

Suchánková stated, "The case of the sudden death of a man in Kutná Hora is being investigated by regional detectives on suspicion of bodily harm resulting in death. This case is still under investigation, so it is a phase that is not public, for this reason, we cannot be any more detailed."

The second man was scheduled to accompany sect members in a van for the forest ritual but failed to appear at the agreed meeting spot. Crime investigators later discovered his body between the villages of Kozojedy and Truba.

Some members of the sect claimed he had taken his own life, possibly due to apprehension about participating in the forest ritual.

"Kolín detectives are investigating the death of a 56-year-old man. In this connection, they have commissioned a number of expert reports, which are not yet available. For this reason, no conclusion has yet been reached in the matter, and the investigation is still ongoing," added the police spokeswoman.

The self-proclaimed healer also died in early October of the previous year. According to the prosecution, two of his female followers, a dentist in Kutná Hora and a former gym teacher, were responsible for his murder. The prosecutor alleged that the man voluntarily ingested a drug provided by the dentist, which had sedative and hypnotic effects.

The dentist proceeded to make incisions on his groin and wrist with a scalpel and injected him with a general anesthetic. The man's cause of death was acute poisoning by the substance.