Teen Declared Dead Wakes in Coffin

Guatemala’s Public Ministry (MP) has opened an investigation into how a 15-year-old girl was treated as dead by her family, put in a coffin and later found moving during her wake.

The Municipal Prosecutor’s Office of Sacapulas and the Regional Prosecutor’s Office are handling the case, Prensa Libre reported. Investigators are examining the family’s decision to consider the girl dead without a medical death certificate and without taking her to a health facility for evaluation.

The incident happened in the village of El Jocote, Sacapulas, Quiché. Prensa Libre reported the girl spent about eight hours in a coffin before she woke up during the wake.

Staff from the Attorney General’s Office (PGN) visited the family home as part of the response.

The girl reportedly collapsed while her father, an evangelical pastor, was driving her to a medical centre. He reportedly found no pulse or breathing and bought a coffin.

According to the same reports, relatives gathered at around 2:30 p.m. when a woman who was weeping noticed the girl moving. The girl sat up, and relatives shouted “hallelujah”. A video of the moment went viral.

The girl reportedly told relatives she felt sharp chest pain and heaviness before she lost consciousness. No medical report on her condition has been made public.

Her death was never certified by a doctor.