A woman has told about how her sister's Schizophrenia was mistaken for demonic possession.

She says a lack of understanding and prevalent cultural attitudes meant her sister was ostracised and refused medical attention.

Rubina (not her real name) said her about her older sister suffered from Schizophrenia but her familytried everything barring genuine medical help.

“My sister isn’t alive any more.

“My parents still don’t believe that she was a schizophrenic. They still think she was possessed by jinns. And they, as well as other family members, say that she was possessed because of ‘buree nazar’- the evil eye. They are adamant that people were so jealous of my sister’s appearance.

“She was beautiful, really fair skinned with big green eyes.

“My family think that a mental illness means being ‘mad.’ And in our family they have a status to uphold, therefore no-one can ever be considered to be ‘mad.’ Schizophrenia is a brain disorder which can be successfully managed once identified.

With the correct treatment and support, a person with schizophrenia can lead a fulfilling life.

Rubina reveals her sister was taken to see various religious leaders in a bid to cure her.

“I was only young then, about 10-years-old. “Once a maullana came to our house to try and cure my sister.

“My parents and I watched as he slapped her face when an old Hindu woman’s voice came out of her mouth. He slapped her again when she continued to speak about praying in the temple and doing pooja.

“When that didn’t work, he lit a match and extinguished it on her arm. My sister screamed, but my parents didn’t do anything to stop him.

“My sister seemed defiant and carried on shouting about the Hindu gods.

“The maulvi extinguished the match a few more times on her arm and even the back of her neck.

“Because my sister didn’t stop talking, the maulvi walked out telling my parents angrily that my sister was incurable as she wasn’t really a Muslim.”

Rubina said that her sister would take on a few different personas. The most prominent one was an old man, another one was a young boy. Sometimes her sister was so incoherent that it was difficult to understand any speech.

At other times, she would just laugh uncontrollably while pulling at her hair. Often, her sister would not recognise her family members around her.

“My parents couldn’t handle it all so they locked my sister away in a room towards the back of the house.

“People’s explanations became increasingly bizarre. Some people said my sister was possessed because she didn’t make dua before she went in the bathroom.

“Others said it was because she went out at night with her hair untied which attracted the jinns.

“People even blamed my mum for not reading enough Quran when she was pregnant with my sister, and that was why her daughter was inflicted with jinns.

“I know my parents acted out of ignorance. But I cannot forgive the treatment of my sister. This is why I work in Mental Health now, to try and change perceptions.

“I don’t want to reveal my identity as it will hurt my parent’s feelings, and I know they have continued their life since my sister’s death immersed in guilt.

“We don’t ever talk about my sister at home. It is an unspoken rule.

“They have tried to rebuild their lives since we moved to the UK, but they will have to live with that guilt forever.”