Page 35 - 201212 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - December 2012

Canada’s Witch Trials Canada’s witch trials: Fake sorcerers and sham psychics abound despite hundred-year-old law to protect people National Post A little-used law that cracks down on “pretend witchcraft” remains in force more than a century after its enactment, but cities across Canada are still crawling with sham conjurers, fake sorcerers and fraudulent psychics. “I think the rarity of the charge comes down to the rarity of people coming forward,” said Detective Constable James Turnbull of Toronto police. “You’re trying to explain to people that they’ve been victimized and they don’t believe you; they believe the guy’s power is real.” Last week, his division charged self- described “healer” Gustavo Gomez under Section 365 of the Criminal Code, an archaic law that targets “everyone who fraudulently … pretends to exercise or to use any kind of they get honest psychics “tarred with the same more conventional religious beliefs only face witchcraft, sorcery, enchantment or brush.” The tricks these psychics use “are as old standard fraud charges. conjuration.” as written history,” such as breaking open a “When you defraud people out of their Mr. Gomez reached clients through chicken’s egg to reveal a black omen, said Ms. savings or you risk their health, it doesn’t matter Spanish-language radio and print ads in Quebec MacLeane. “One year I met two professors if it’s done by mainstream religious leaders or and Ontario, convincing people they were under from UBC who fell victim,” she said. “That just witch doctors or Tarot card readers, the law a curse, then offering to lift it for $10,000 to gives you a sense of how convincing they are.” should be applied consistently,” he said. $15,000. In decades past, psychics and palm “Personally, I am all for this law,” wrote Toronto Police are now warning of readers were occasionally targeted in police Nicole Cooper, a second-degree high priestess similar “curse-lifters” prowling the city’s raids, but today it’s buyer beware. with the Wiccan Church of Canada, in an email Chinese community. They approach elderly “It’s up to a person’s own beliefs to the Post. “Many people every year that I Cantonese speakers on the street, warn them of whether they choose to believe in this stuff or personally hear about – and surely many more – a curse, convince them to fill a bag with not,” said Sergeant Randy Fincham, a are bilked out of thousands of dollars by valuables for a special ritual, then run off with Vancouver Police spokesman. unscrupulous charlatans offering ‘spiritual’ it. Many spell casters and sorcerers operate services in exchange for high fees.” The scam has been rampant in overseas, beyond the easy reach of the Canadian Getting a conviction is a different story. Vancouver, where con artists will sometimes law. Legal scholars suggest a Section 365 charge throw in promises of “lucky jade bracelets” or “My spells are 100% real not fake, so if risks bumping up against the “freedom of bottles of “blessed mystical water.” you need real spells that work then call me and conscience and religion” rights guaranteed “We’ve had about seven [incidents] i [sic] can help you,” reads a recent Kijiji ad under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. reported to us,” Detective Constable Jay linked to a Toronto phone number. “Prosecutors would have to be able to Amundsen of Vancouver police told Postmedia In August, fear of fraudulent sorcerers prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the ‘bad News. “We’re talking about $100,000.” prompted eBay to drop all sellers offering guy’ doesn’t actually have these powers and … Performing supernatural cons on the “spells; curses; hexing; conjuring; magic; I don’t even know how you’d go about proving street is a new twist on a scam that traditionally prayers; blessing services; magic potions [and] that,” said Sgt. Fincham. [] involves fraudsters posing as palm readers to healing sessions.” attract clients, convince them of a curse and Section 365 was written into the offer a pricey antidote. inaugural 1892 draft of the Criminal Code and They “usually start off cheap or free, and stands among anti-duelling measures and then hook you and charge more and more alarming the Queen as one of the most rarely money and promise things that are impossible used sections in Canadian law. for them to deliver,” wrote Tara Greene in an Derived from medieval English laws email to the National Post. that sought to detect – and burn – witches, the Her website says she’s a Toronto Canadian version may have come from a desire astrologer and psychic, although she prefers the to “control the Gypsy populations,” says a 1999 term “intuitive counsellor.” She uses a familiar criminology thesis by Tracesandra McDonald at toolbox of crystal balls and tea leaves – but is the University of Ottawa. careful to note, for legal reasons, that her In the Toronto area, however, police are services are for “entertainment purposes.” using it every few months. In 2009, for instance, “I use my intuition, I can see psychically Vishwantee Persaud, 36, was charged under [but] it is the client’s choice what to do with the Section 365 for employing fake supernatural information I give them and I am not powers to defraud a lawyer of $100,000. The responsible for that,” she said. witchcraft charges were later replaced by fraud Vancouver psychic Cassandra Mac- charges. Leane publishes tips on her website to steer Justin Trottier, chief spokesman for the people away from “fraudulent readers,” arguing Centre for Inquiry, questioned why the law seems to pick on witches, while con artists with