No criminal charges following 'exorcism' where boy allegedly suffered seizure: Sask. RCMP

Saskatchewan RCMP say no criminal charges will be laid in connection to an alleged exorcism at a Bible camp where a boy exhibited seizure-like symptoms.

“Criminal investigations ultimately boil down to two things: gathering evidence and determining whether that evidence indicates an individual committed a crime as defined by the Criminal Code of Canada," RCMP Supt. Josh Graham said in an emailed statement.

"We conducted a thorough investigation and did not gather any evidence that would allow any Criminal Code charges to be laid in relation to what the children experienced."

Heather Richinski told CTV News her son described an apparent exorcism at the camp in mid-July during which a "kid collapsed and blood was coming from his face."

According to RCMP, Mounties in Blaine Lake received two reports concerning the alleged incident involving a staff member at the Redberry Bible Camp, located roughly 90 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon.

The initial investigation concluded there was no criminality, the RCMP statement said.

On Aug. 16, a broader investigation was launched involving interviews with multiple witnesses and no contraventions to the Criminal Code were found, according to RCMP.

"We are unable to speak to non-Criminal Code child welfare matters or camp personnel screening or standards, as that is not our jurisdiction," the statement said.

CTV News has not heard back from the camp following multiple requests for comment.

Richinski said camp staff told her a worker had exorcised five demons and that the boy had collapsed and was growling and contorting on the floor.

The staff member who allegedly performed the ritual, Carlos Doerksen, appears to speak about the incident in a YouTube video posted in July.

"He's shaking, his eyes are rolling back in his head, his nose starts bleeding," Doerksen said. In the video, Doerksen said he had been fired from the camp.

In a message posted on Facebook Tuesday evening, Doerksen defended his actions.

"I do not regret praying for a boy who was in need of prayer and whom I saw with my own eyes be set free by the power of Jesus," Doerksen wrote in the post which also quotes a Bible verse that discusses casting out demons.

On Tuesday, the Saskatchewan Camp Association told CTV News the Bible camp's accreditation is under review.