A police officer who now works as an exorcist has suggested the reason 28 girls fell ill in Colombia is because they opened a "doorway to evil" while playing with an Ouija board.
The schoolgirls were hospitalised after suffering from anxiety and fainting episodes on February 27.
The 28 students at the Galeras Educational Institution in Pasto, southern Colombia, were taken to the Galeras Educational Institution in Sucre Department where they were treated.
Chris DeFlorio, a former NYPD cop, travels the US performing exorcisms with his wife Harmony and claims to rid homes and individuals of evil spirits.
He has now claimed theories that "something evil is happening in the area that is targeting children spiritually" is not being addressed.
Despite the claims, there is no evidence Ouija boards cause sickness or illnesses.
The self-described 'Religious Demonologist' - who was an officer for the New York Police Department for 19 years - operates the non-profit organisation New York Demonic Investigation.
DeFlorio retired from the police force when his exorcist career started booming several years ago.
The ghostbuster, whose tools are simply the Bible and prayer, said his skills derive directly from his Catholic faith, medical and police training, and years running his NGO.
DeFlorio said: “Early methods relating to what we know as the Ouija board have been around since the 6th century BC.
“It is used as a communication device to open the doorways to the spiritual realm.
“When looking at the spiritual cases in Colombia, it’s important to note that the incident at Galeras Educational Institution is not an isolated case.
“Currently, there are five documented cases occurring at multiple schools in the country after the use of Ouija boards by teens, and potentially more incidents that are not documented.
“For example, one previous incident mentions a teen girl standing up, speaking a strange language, and hitting her brother with a stick.
“Another incident, reported just last year, states that a group of teens collapsed at school and suffered from violent vomiting, abdominal pain and muscle spasms after using an Ouija board to contact the dead.”
He added: “One possibility is that something evil is happening in the area that is targeting children spiritually and is not being addressed.”
The demonologist said: “While most cases have been dismissed as food poisoning, unclean water, or another rational explanation, they exclude an obvious one, a doorway to evil might have been opened.
“The children all began manifesting symptoms after using the Ouija board.
“This is the one common denominator being overlooked, dismissed, or potentially covered up.
“Some questions to think about.
"Why were the children using Ouija boards in school? Where did they get them?
“Has the same board been used in multiple incidents? What or who were the children trying to invoke?
“These are all questions that need to be investigated and it leads one to be curious that a statement clarifying the issue in the aftermath was not commented on by school officials or authorities.”
Mr DeFlorio said: “Though Ouija boards are presented as just your typical board game - that is hardly the case.
“They are tools created to open up doorways to the other dimensions and should not be tampered with.
“Adults and children should be warned that using an Ouija board for any reason will put your life and your soul at risk.
“There is enough evidence here to look into and investigate all of the incidents together and try to connect the dots to see if they opened up a specific door to the Demonic that was never meant to be opened.”
The ghostbuster added: “There may be more at risk here than just an isolated incident at the school but something that could follow them the rest of their lives if it is not dealt with correctly.”
