Family members' fate in jury's hands 

Source: ONE NewsJanet Moses

• WATCH the video (1:47)

The fate of the family members accused of killing a young mother in an exorcism ceremony will soon be in the jury's hands.
 
Eight people are on trial for the manslaughter of 22-year-old Janet Moses, who drowned when water was poured down her throat during the ceremony.

On Wednesday, the Defence made a passionate plea for their acquittal, which appeared to affect even the most seasoned counsel.

The Crown says the family missed signs of a mental illness and instead fatally tried to treat Moses on their own.
 
But the Defence says the accused acted out of love and truly believed they were saving the woman from inner demons.

"To convict any person of the second most serious charge that we have in our crimes act, the crime of manslaughter...it's not enough to say 'she was an aunty or he was an uncle," says Defence lawyer Greg King.

The Defence says that the accused, and even Moses herself, believed she was possessed by a curse.

They say she agreed to the water-cleansing ritual in which she eventually drowned.

"It must be a reasonable possibility at very least, that she actually consented to what was happening...it must be," says King.

Emotions have run high at times during the trial, even King, one of New Zealand's leading defence lawyers appeared overcome as he spoke of the young mother.

The Crown has called over 60 witnesses to give evidence against the accused. The Defence has not called a single one, instead using cross-examination to find flaws in the evidence.

The jury will consider its verdict on Thursday.