The followers of a Tongan preacher who claims she is God have been filmed weeping in agony after apparently injuring themselves at her instigation.
A video, which has been shared on social media, shows them dropping on their knees on to a flat, solid object and injuring their knees.
There has been a public outcry on social media and calls to report the practice to the Australian authorities.
The video clip and photos show what appear to be blood stains on the flat object.
Two women with what look like knee injuries are shown lying on the floor.
The video clip showed controversial preacher ‘Esita Smith lamenting.
In the video Smith can be heard saying in Tongan: “Ko hoku toto ‘i loto ‘i hoku mafu ke u foaki kia kimoutolu ke mou ma’u ‘a e tau’ataina ‘o e mo’ui. Ka ‘oku faingata’a kiate kimoutolu ke fakatafe homou toto kiate au.”
This translate into English as: “I give you the blood inside my heart so that you can have freedom of life. But it is difficult for you to shed your blood for me.”
She pauses and then shouts: “You all can see it.”
Still lamenting and weeping, Smith, whose legs appeared to be injured and stained with blood, then fell on the object.
The two women who were still lying on the floor appear to have been trying to cover the flat object and protect Smith from falling on it again.
It appeared that her words and actions led one of the women to stand up and repeatedly drop on the flat object with her bloodied knees.
In one photo, Smith appears to have been talking to a young woman who was weeping and whose legs were bloodstained.
Some commenters on Facebook claimed the woman was Smith’s daughter. Kaniva news has not been able to verify this.
The video had been shared more than 81,000 times, drawn 451 reactions, received 897 comments and been shared 784 times.
The photos have been shared 406 times, had 311 reactions and received 223 comments.
‘Esita Smith
In 2016 Kaniva news reported that, Smith, who operates in Australia, claimed she was a true Prophet and new messenger of God.
At the time she said she was fed up with people who regarded themselves as Christians and at the same time showed hatred towards her and her followers.
She said she ignored them because what she did was what God had told her to do.
She named her followers, who declared that they believed in Smith’s preaching and teachings, as apostles.
Some of her videos have been viewed more than 20,000 times and shared more than 200 times on Facebook.
This year Smith claimed on Facebook that she was God.
Although she has been widely mocked and rejected on social media, the latest video and photos appear to show some people still follow Smith.
They appear to have accepted whatever Smith tells them to do, including harming to themselves.
Some commenters on Facebook described the practice on social media as disgusting and sickening.
Some who claimed they knew Smith personally and her family said a complaint should be now lodged with the Australian authorities.
The main points
- The followers of a Tongan preacher who claims she is God have been filmed weeping in agony after apparently injuring themselves at her instigation.
- A video, which has been shared on social media, shows them dropping on their knees on to a flat, solid object and injuring their knees.
- There has been a public outcry on social media and calls to report the practice to the Australian authorities.
For more information
Minister lashes out as woman who claims she is God’s messenger gains growing following
