A Singaporean woman who called herself an Indian goddess has been convicted of abusing and cheating her followers. Woo May Hoe forced some devotees to swallow human feces, stabbed them with scissors, whipped them with canes, and even made one jump from a second-story building.
SINGAPORE – Self-styled Indian goddess Woo May Hoe punished some of her “devotees” by forcing them to swallow human faeces.
Court documents revealed that Woo’s offences were committed against multiple victims for nine years from 2012 to May 2020. She had about 30 followers.Woo May Hoe was found guilty of cheating her followers of more than $7 million and assaulting them. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS READEROne of the most harrowing accounts of abuse was directed at a victim from 2019 to 2020, who is in her 40s and identified in court papers as V2. Identities have been withheld to protect the victims.
Woo instructed another follower, identified as V3, to use a pair of pliers to pull out three of V2’s teeth. Out of fear of suffering the same fate, V3 did as instructed.According to court papers, her followers were suffering from – or had relatives suffering from – serious medical conditions at the time the offences were committed.
It relies on donations from local temple devotees as well as globally through a dedicated website featuring 10 donation hotlines. When the money ran out, she asked them to give up their jewellery and other valuables, which were then pawned and sold to fund various payments and purchases. DPP Chua informed the court that Woo was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the offences. But an Institute of Mental Health doctor found no link between Woo’s mental state and her financial cheating offences. Woo has since made restitution of $675,500.In June, ST contacted the administration office of Sri Narayani Peedam through a WhatsApp number on the website. The number has recently been deleted and in its place now are 10 helplines.
“When a group puts pressure on an individual to cut ties with established networks, such as loved ones or family members, and engages in brainwashing practices such as inciting hatred towards the outside world, it’s time to seek help,” she adds. “Toxic groups thrive on being secretive, so the first step is to confide in a trusted friend.”
Humans are social creatures, she says, and from an evolutionary standpoint, aligning with a leader or group helped humankind survive in environments where cooperation was crucial. “We may engage in certain behaviour or adopt attitudes to help relieve the discomfort caused by the conflict. A person may grow to adopt beliefs or ideas to help justify or explain away the conflict between his or her beliefs and behaviours. The fear of losing the community, facing punishment or disappointing the leader creates a mental barrier that can immobilise people, making it difficult to leave or even question the group’s unethical practices.
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