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Queens Grandma Sylvenie Thessier Sentenced To 3 Years In Voodoo Ritual Burning Case

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A New York City grandmother of a 6-year-old girl severely burned in a voodoo ritual was sentenced to three years in prison.

Sylvenie Thessier, of Queens, was sentenced Wednesday. She had pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child.

Prosecutors said the child's mother, Marie Lauradin, sprayed the child with rum and set her on fire in June 2009 to rid her daughter of evil spirits.

They said the 71-year-old grandmother later doused the girl with water and put her to bed without seeking medical help.

The judge told Thessier at the sentencing that the girl deserved to have her wounds treated.

The girl's mother is set to go on trial on charges of assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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