Fairy tales kill.

Janet Moses, 22, died in a ritual at a relative's house near Wellington as family members tried to drive out a makutu (curse). The family believe the curse was linked to a relative stealing a taonga (treasure). Another relative becoming sick was also blamed on the curse.

Evidence that some people have too much time on their hands.

The lifting of a makutu varies with each case, Anglican minister Hone Kaa says.

The process involves a lot of talking to understand the family's history and "depth of the makutu".

Removal includes prayer, and ceremonies often use water to cleanse - though usually in small amounts. Ceremonies usually involve numerous participants, including kaumatua. There can be a physical element, with the victim needing to be held in place as the spirit fights against its removal, Dr Kaa says.

Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples said he had witnessed the successful removal of a likely makutu after a child started barking like a dog. "It's not for me to say that it's all supernatural and there's nothing in it.

"With the right karakia [prayer], the right chanting ... [the curse] can be lifted by their own family."

We can send a satellite out of the solar system, but we can't convince people their is nothing to these beliefs.