By the end, she weighed less than 70 pounds and could no longer walk. The priests kept performing the ritual anyway. She died before it was finished.
Early Life
Anneliese Michel was born in 1952 in Klingenberg, Bavaria, West Germany, into a devoutly Catholic family. She experienced chronic illness in childhood and, at 16, began having psychiatric and physical symptoms that would come to define the rest of her short life.
Diagnosis and Decline
In 1968, Anneliese began experiencing blackouts and trance-like episodes. She was later diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy, a condition that can cause seizures, hallucinations, and — in some cases — an intense preoccupation with religious themes. Medication did little to control her symptoms, and her mental health continued to deteriorate through her teens and early twenties. By the early 1970s, she reported hallucinations of demonic faces, developed an aversion to religious objects, and exhibited increasingly severe compulsive and self-harming behaviors.
The Exorcism
After conventional medical treatment failed to help her, and following requests from Anneliese and her family, the Catholic Church eventually authorized an exorcism. Father Arnold Renz and Ernst Alt began performing the rite in September 1975. Over the following months, they conducted 67 documented sessions, during which Anneliese reportedly stopped eating properly. She lost significant weight and became severely malnourished and dehydrated.
Her Death
Anneliese Michel died in July 1976 from malnutrition and dehydration. An autopsy later found no physical evidence of epileptic brain damage.
The Trial
Bavarian authorities charged her parents and the two priests with negligent homicide. All four were convicted and received six-month suspended sentences along with probation. The case, and the audio recordings made during the exorcism sessions, went on to inspire the film "The Exorcism of Emily Rose."
FAQ
What was Anneliese Michel actually diagnosed with?
Temporal lobe epilepsy, along with psychiatric conditions including depression; her family and the priests involved believed she was possessed.
How did Anneliese Michel die?
Malnutrition and dehydration, after months of exorcism rituals during which she largely stopped eating.
Were the priests and parents punished?
Yes. All four were convicted of negligent homicide and received six-month suspended sentences with probation.