A young woman died in agony after being told to livestream her birth by a cult leader.
The mother, named only as Linda, went into labour and gave birth at a house in Plasy, Czechia, on Sunday, September 8. The birth was broadcast online, but tragically Linda died hours later after she and the baby remained connected by the umbilical cord for spiritual purposes, posing a greater risk of infection.
During those hours, Linda grew increasingly ill, and on the following day she was rushed to hospital in critical condition. Doctors diagnosed her as braindead and Linda was tragically declared dead. The baby has remained hospitalised.
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The house where Linda gave birth is the cult's designated headquarters. The group, called 'Life in the Heart', blamed a "grey-haired demon" for the young mother's death. The cult's self-proclaimed leader, named only as "Lukas S", 46, who was the one who recorded the live birth for his followers on YouTube, gave a bizarre explanation about the deadly incident.
He said: "In an embrace with Linda, 'the grey hag,' through her, told me without words, just through experience: 'When it's born, I will drown it,' said 'the grey hag,' who is in all women. These are demons that influence us, turn us off, and enter our lives so that we don't live with love. That's how it is."
He also went on to explain how he and other cult members present at the house tried to resuscitate Linda, but without success. Lukas said: "I tried to wake her up, looked into her eyes, but she didn’t respond. I slapped her face, she was like dead.
"As if she had been underwater for 20 days. Her partner and the baby’s father, Marian, called emergency services, and we followed their instructions. We laid her in the hallway and started chest compressions. We kept massaging her, but she showed no signs of waking up."
Along with rescuers, police were also called to the scene and they are now investigating Linda's death. A police spokesperson said: "We have initiated criminal proceedings on suspicion of the crime of causing bodily harm through negligence."
Locals said they do not know much about the cult and avoid its members. Neighbours said Lukas had moved into the house about a year ago.
One resident said: "They’re crazy, they even go barefoot to the stores." Another said: "The house belongs to the father of the child. He’s a local, bought it on a mortgage. He’s a smart guy, an IT professional, but he’s lost his mind."
They added: "Usually, it’s quiet, we don’t know much about them. But sometimes they throw a party and disturb the area. But mostly, we ignore them. We want nothing to do with them." The investigation is ongoing.
