肯尼亚蒙巴萨法院于10月19日裁定邪教领导人保罗·麦肯齐及其同伙因谋杀190名儿童和1名成人罪名成立25。法官戴安娜·卡维德扎·莫查切表示："我确信控方已证明全部29名被告人谋杀190名儿童和1名成人的犯罪"5。麦肯齐于2003年创立了名为"好消息国际教会"的邪教组织，指使追随者通过绝食致死15。
该案件涉及在东南海岸沙卡霍拉森林800英亩的农场内发现的超过400具尸体，其中只有26具被识别3。受害者主要死于饥饿、窒息、颈部压迫和头部外伤5。邪教成员被禁止送孩子上学和去医院就医，生活在简陋的聚居区，在麦肯齐的蛊惑下禁食以期"见到耶稣"34。司法官指出，在某些情况下儿童遭到隔离并被拒绝食物，而其父母则在一旁观看3。
麦肯齐于2023年4月被逮捕，此前有人举报其兄长和妻子在森林里按其命令饿死了孩子们3。麦肯齐曾在2017年因"激进化"被逮捕并被释放，2019年又因两名儿童死亡被逮捕后获保释5。除当前定罪外，麦肯齐还面临恐怖主义相关指控，以及涉及52人死亡案件的指控3。量刑将于11月6日进行2。肯尼亚总统威廉·鲁托在2023年表示政府机构本应能够防止这些死亡，并承担了责任3。
A Mombasa court in Kenya found Paul Mackenzie, a self-proclaimed preacher and cult leader, guilty of murdering 190 children and one adult on October 19.25 Mackenzie and approximately 28 co-conspirators were convicted in connection with starvation deaths linked to the Good News International Church, an apocalyptic Christian cult that Mackenzie established in 2003.5 The verdict culminated an investigation into one of Kenya's most disturbing criminal cases, with sentencing scheduled for November 6.2
The cult operated on an 800-acre farm in the Shakahola Forest in Kenya's southeastern coast, where members were instructed to fast to death in the belief they would meet Jesus before the world's end.5 Police discovered more than 400 bodies in shallow graves at the site following Mackenzie's arrest in April 2023, though only 26 have been identified.3 Children in the cult were subjected to extreme deprivation, with some isolated and denied food while parents watched, according to judicial findings.3 Deaths resulted from starvation, suffocation, neck compression, and head trauma.5 Mackenzie had previously been arrested in 2017 on radicalization charges and released, and again in 2019 following the deaths of two children, when he was granted bail.5
Beyond the current conviction, Mackenzie faces additional charges related to 52 deaths in Kwasimba village, approximately 18 miles away.3 Kenyan President William Ruto acknowledged in 2023 that government institutions should have prevented the deaths and took responsibility for the failure.3
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