Criminal charges brought in Gwinnett County against mother who attempted to perform exorcism on her son
A Gwinnett County woman was arrested last Friday for restraining her 15-year-old son with handcuffs while trying to perform an exorcism. A family friend was also arrested with the mother.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution has the story.
Sandra Alfred, 46, has been charged with false imprisonment and cruelty to children for restraining her son against his will. The family friend, Larry Powell, was also charged with cruelty to children.
Police say that on June 10 one of the two called Lilburn Police to report an unruly juvenile. Upon investigating, police discovered that the boy had been restrained with handcuffs against his will. Police also learned that the boy had not been allowed to eat or drink for 12 hours at a time over a period of three days. Alfred and Powell apparently told police that they were trying to perform an exorcism on the boy. Police believe the mother may suffer from delusions.
The boy was treated at Gwinnett Medical Center for injuries and dehydration before being released. For now, Alfred and Powell are being held in jail and are scheduled to appear in court on June 26.
Pate & Brody is an accomplished Georgia law firm with offices in Atlanta, Macon and Madison. Our lawyers are dedicated to pursuing justice for people charged with serious crimes. We have successfully represented clients facing serious federal criminal charges and state criminal charges in courts across Georgia. Our lawyers have been recognized on the list of Georgia's "Super Lawyers", and included among Georgia's "Legal Elite" by Georgia Trend Magazine. Page Pate was recently the Chairman of the Criminal Law Section of the Atlanta Bar Association.
