8 July 2024, 09:36
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A barman was found dead in Venice after taking part in a shamanic ritual in a deconsecrated abbey.
Alex Marangon, 25, was ‘beaten’ to death during a Ayahuasca ceremony before his body was dumped in the river Piave, according to Italian prosecutors.
Mr Marangon, a 25-year-old barman from a small town north of Venice, disappeared from the Santa Bona di Vidor abbey near Treviso after reportedly drinking a hallucinogenic tea made from the South American plant.
He was last seen at around 3am on July 30 by at least two other people who said they saw him running barefoot into the gardens of the abbey.
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He was reported missing at around 6am after failing to return to his room.
His body was found three days later on a sandy inlet a few kilometres downstream of the Piave river. There was no water in his lungs, suggesting he did not drown. However his autopsy found that he had been beaten with a blunt object – leaving him with injuries including a skull fracture, and broken ribs which caused internal bleeding. He died from a blow to the head.
Police in Italy have been questioning other attendees who were at the shamanic ritual.
Witnesses reported that Mr Marangon drank Ayahuasca, a psychoactive beverage traditionally used by South American indigenous cultures and folk healers in the Amazon basins.
The drink is illegal in Italy.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
