A pastor believes it is the work of the devil, but a psychiatrist is of the opinion that there are still too many unanswered questions as to why nearly 30 students of a secondary school in south Dominica were exhibiting "unusual behaviour" on Thursday.

"This is not normal, this is not ordinary. We must be aware of the devices of Satan and how he works," said Pastor Omry Davis of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.


too coincidental

He told reporters that it was also too coincidental that 25 girls would also suffer from the same unusual behaviour.

"These are healthy girls. It's not one person; eight of them at the Princes Margaret Hospital and 25 of them in all. Is that normal? Is that an ordinary everyday occurrence? Of course not," the pastor said.

Psychiatrist Dr. Griffin Benjamin said there were many unanswered questions regarding the incident at the Pierre Charles Secondary School in Grandbay, south of Roseau.

Eyewitnesses said that nearly 30 students made strange animal noises, denouncing God and professing loyalty to the devil. The students, all girls, could not be contained by school and medical authorities despite efforts to sedate them.

Dr. Benjamin said the amount of valium administered to the students "would have put most of us to sleep immediately and some of these children delayed and even became more active after giving them valium."

"What really happened, we are not sure. We can't say we know," Dr. Benjamin told reporters, adding, however, that he was very sure that the phenomenon was a medical issue, since the same students had been treated for similar symptoms in the past.

Education Minister Vince Henderson said he would have met with all stakeholders yesterday to discuss the matter.