Cultists accused after bizarre attacks on foes

Press, 26 April 1979, Page 9

Cultists accused after bizarre attacks on foes

(NZPA-Reuter Lausanne (Switzerland) ) In a trial that has alreadybrought admissions and j accusations of black-magic rituals, rape, and bombings, an Australian nurse who joined a fringe religious sect faces charges today that she tried to poison a Swiss lawyer with cyanide-coated chocolate.

Katherine Bingham, aged 28, has already admitted taking part in a black-magic campaign against opponents of the Indian-led Divine Light sect, based in the northern Swiss town of Winterthur, by sticking pins in wax effigies and leaving tokens in the opponents’ gardens. Today she will be questioned in court about accusations that she tried to murder Oskar Gutweniger at his Zurich home in December, 1975. According to the indictment, Mr Gutweniger spat out the chocolate because it had a bitter taste.

The Divine Light leader, Swami Omkarananda, aged 49, a Swiss woman, Verena Plaein-Schoeb, aged 28; a Swiss radio electrician, Josef Miechtry, aged 34; and a West German youth,

Johannes Schaeben, aged 19, have also been charged with attempted murder involving explosives attacks. Mr Omkarananda has denied the charges and a! statement of Mrs Piaein-i Schoeb that he had sexual relations with her. “There is no sex at the , D.L.Z. (Divine Light centre). ( There is no sex possible, thinkable in relation to i Swami Omkarananda," he . said. j Miss Bingham, who joined ( the Divine Light sect in . 1973 after travelling through j India from her home in Leonora, Western Australia, , has already told the court ) she had only taken part in the black-magic acts for 1 about two months. She had felt the. Swami ! was being'cold and distant 1 to her and she wanted to improve relations between ! them, she told the five ’ judges. Miss Bingham said she 1 had taken part in trips two or three times a week to distribute charmed objects ■ in the gardens of neighbours i of the sect who opposed the Divine Light centre. The prosecution said sect i members turned to magic, < poison, and finally to < explosives attacks because ) of continuing hostility with , people living in the : neighbourhood.