Bizarre burning and cutting ritual on kids lands Florida woman in jail

The Miami Herald ^ | 6/13/12 | Dan Sullivan

[ruralvoter]

Danielle Harkins told the kids they needed to rid their bodies of demons as the group gathered before dusk Saturday around a small fire near the St. Petersburg Pier. They should cut their skin to let the evil spirits out, police said she told the children. Then, they needed to burn the wounds to ensure that those spirits would not return.

Some kids got cut, police said. Some kids got burned. Harkins got arrested.

Harkins, 35, a literacy teacher at Lealman and Asian Neighborhood Family Center, was booked in jail Tuesday morning on child abuse charges in connection with the bizarre ritual. She was held in jail Tuesday night on $55,000 bail.

Police said the ritual was attended by seven teenagers, all of Asian ethnic background, whom Harkins had taught a few years ago in her job at the center. At least two were injured, police said.

[ruralvoter]

Here is another link for more information about the teacher.

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2012/06/danielle_harkins_demon_ritual.php

[dead]

These kids were 16 and 17 years old!

They're as idiotic and demented as she is.

[pabianice]

[donhunt]

I have to do this myself every once in a while.

[driftdiver]

you have to bleed yourself?

[null and void]

[Bigg Red]

For 16- and 17-year olds to be convinced to do this, she must have had some power over them. Most likely she was providing them with alcohol and having sex with them. What a perv.