Shaman Acquitted in Ayahuasca-Related Death
A shaman by the name of Segundo Crispin Buesaquillo was recently acquitted of a death related to an Ayahuasca ceremony.
The ayahuasca ceremony in question happened back on August 27, 2019 in Aradippou, Cyprus. And in that ceremony, a 34-year-old Latvian woman – Sandra Maluha – died after consuming the ayahuasca brew.
Allegedly, the woman was given the substance, but wasn’t told what it was. And then after ingesting it, she reportedly fainted; was rushed to Larnaca General Hospital; and was pronounced dead due to a pulmonary embolism (which is a blockage of an artery in the lungs).
Segundo plead not guilty to the charges – which were ‘causing a death due to negligence’ and ‘maliciously supplying a harmful substance, which endangered another person’s life.’
The prosecution called 6 witnesses, and submitted 32 pieces of evidence during the hearing. But notably, the court ultimately ruled that there wasn’t sufficient evidence linking the death to the Ayahuasca brew that was given.
While it comes as no surprise that the Ayahuasca wasn’t proven to be the cause of death, our hearts go out to the Maluha family nonetheless for their tragic loss.
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