Medium in criminal inquiry over actress’ death

8 October 2004

AMSTERDAM — Prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation to determine if Dutch healing medium Jomanda broke the law by persuading actress Sylvia Millecam she did not have cancer. The Dutch film and television star later died of breast cancer.

The investigation will determine whether Jomanda and the other therapists can be prosecuted for their role — if any — in Millecam’s death, Dutch public news service NOS reported on Thursday night. Jomanda has rejected claims she told Millecam to ignore her conventional doctors.

The actress died in August 2001 at the age of 45. Doctors had diagnosed her with breast cancer in 1999, but Millecam never believed she was suffering from the disease and thought instead it was a bacterial infection.

Neither Jomanda nor the alternative therapists believed that Millecam had breast cancer either. Shortly after the actress died, Jomanda said she had been told from the “other world” that Millecam’s illness was something other than cancer.

The actress’ death led to a large scale investigation by the Dutch Health Inspectorate, which rubbished the psychic’s “diagnosis”. The inspectorate said in February this year that irresponsible medical treatment provided by the alternative therapists forfeited Millecam’s chance of being cured.
 
The inspectorate said Jomanda and the therapists had “misled” the actress — known for her roles in several films and the Ook dat nog! consumer justice television series — by saying she did not have breast cancer.

The medium and therapists has also allegedly predicted that Millecam would recover from her illness, advising her against seeing regular doctors.

The prosecution has since conducted a preliminary investigation into the report’s findings and has decided to launch a full criminal inquiry. It is not yet certain whether the inquiry will lead to prosecution.

Jomanda has previously denied giving medical advice to Millecam. He claimed  that she had advised the actress to see a conventional doctor. Nevertheless, she will soon be called upon as a suspect to make an official statement to prosecutors on her role as a healing medium in Millecam’s case.

Explaining her method, Jomanda writes on her website: “The positive energy which is released through Jomanda as medium is an energy of love. This energy touches you in the depth of your being and in that depth everything lies hidden, including the cause of your complaint.

“Jomanda began her first practice around 1978. Since then many miracles have happened. Many more will follow… also today. You don’t have to believe it; you may experience it, as many have done before you.” 

Click here for the English section of Jomanda’s website.
 
[Copyright Expatica News 2004]

Subject: Dutch news