India, Oct. 19 -- A terminally ill woman in Taiwan was manipulated into joining a so-called "spiritual growth" group that drained her family of more than NT$13 million (US$420,000).

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According to a report by South China Morning Post (SCMP), the woman, surnamed Wang, who was battling terminal cancer, was subjected to humiliating and exploitative rituals under the guise of spiritual development.

Her ordeal began in August 2013, when she joined a "spiritual growth course" led by two women, surnamed Zhang and Chen. Her son also joined in April 2021. Participants were reportedly forced to perform degrading acts such as kneeling by roadside...