The South Korean family moved to Germany in October 2015, hoping to open a restaurant. They rented a house in Sulzbach, a town in the German state of Hesse.
However, the family felt forced to leave the house after perceiving the presence of the devils and demons there. In search of respite, they moved to Frankfurt's Intercontinental Hotel.
The fatal exorcism took place in the hotel on December 5 2015. The victim, a nutrition consultant called Seonhwa P., had disturbed the rest of her family by talking to herself and beating herself in the night.
Led by the 44-year-old exorcist, the woman's family decided to rid her of evil spirits by carrying out a brutal exorcism.
State prosecutors said the 44-year-old woman "took it upon herself to decide life and death," and charged her with murder and bodily harm.
The 44-year-old exorcist "was the grown-up in the group, and decided what was happened. In addition, she had the experience of two previous failed exorcisms and, as a trained nurse, should have known about the dangerous nature of her trade," the judge said.
Four other members of the victim's family were given suspended sentences of between 18 months and two years for their role in the exorcism. The 16-year-old son of the victim was acquitted.
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