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![]() Sunday, January 11, 1998 Published at 05:26 GMT ![]() ![]() ![]() World: Europe ![]() Cult leader sent to jail ![]() Fittkau-Garthe's home in Tenerife
A Spanish judge has sent a German cult leader to jail on charges that she planned a mass suicide of her group's members.
After five hours of questioning, psychologist Heide Fittkau-Garthe, 57, was ordered to prison without bail by Judge Juan Luis Lorenzo Bragado on charges of induction to suicide, attempted murder and belonging to an illegal group, the national news agency EFE said.
On her arrest, the followers, who included five children, told police that they had expected a space ship to pick up their bodies
from Teide mountain on the island of Tenerife.
The sect, whose name was not made known, has been linked to the
Order of the Solar Temple whose followers have carried out mass
suicides in Canada, France and Switzerland.
Charges "unfounded"
Defense lawyer Enrique Porres described the charges as unfounded
and said Fittkau-Garthe had denied them and would appeal the jail
order.
The judge's report said there was evidence that the accused headed a "destructive" group and planned its collective suicide.
From Germany, Remlinger is said to have given police information regarding the alleged planned mass suicide and the apocalyptic theory.
The report said Fittkau-Garthe had attracted members to her group from Germany through talks and seminars and that her aim was to control the lives, personalities and possessions of its members.
Inquiries "hampered"
On Friday, a police spokesman in Tenerife said the investigation
had been hampered as Fittkau-Garthe's followers were not very
forthcoming with information.
The followers, all Germans barring one who is Spanish, were not
arrested.
Police were reported to be still analysing a liquid alleged to be the poison that the group planned to use to commit suicide.
If tried and convicted Fittkau-Garthe could face up to eight years in jail.
News reports said Fittkau-Garthe charged members of the cult up
to 50,000 pesetas ($350) to attend her psychological-religious
sessions.
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