St. Pete Teacher Told Students to Cut, Burn Themselves

According to St. Petersburg Police, a teacher in St. Petersburg allegedly told seven former students to cut and burn themselves in what police call say was a bizarre religious ritual. 

Danielle Harkins, 35, was arrested by police June 12 and charged with child abuse and aggravated child abuse.

The incident, which happened near the St. Petersburg Pier, involved the students cutting themselves to release "demons"; they then would burn the wounds to prevent spirits from entering their bodies. 

Police said they were notified of the cutting incident after one of the student's father called police. 

Mike Puetz with St. Petersburg Police told Patch there were seven students at the ritual, but it is unknown exactly how many were cut.

He said it is the only occurrence of the ritual that police are aware of. The ritual he said, took place around a small fire, and it included chanting and dancing.

According to WTSP, Harkins was a literacy skills teacher at Lealman Asian Neighborhood Family Center in St. Petersburg, and worked there for more than four years.

She has been suspended without pay from the center. Police told Patch that all of the kids were her former students.

Harkins, of 8100 22nd Ave. N., was charged with two counts of child abuse and one count of aggravated child abuse. Bond was set at $55,000.

According to the Miami Herald, Puetz said, "Obviously, it's very strange," he said. "The motivations for the ritual are very unknown to us."