By Bojan Pancevski, Sunday Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/18/wjudge18.xml
Last Updated: 1:17am GMT 19/02/2007

Judge Elena Simionescu was accused of being a witch and of creating an
atmosphere of
conflict during her term as a president of the court in Vatra Dornei, a small
town in eastern
Romania.

She was alleged to have performed rituals involving splashing water, mud and
"other
liquids", as well as salt and pepper, on fellow judges' desks in what some saw
as an
attempt to bewitch them. The case raises unsettling questions about the outlook
of some
within the judicial system of one of the newest members of the European Union.

The allegations were made by court staff, judges and prosecutors, who claimed
that Judge
Simionescu tried to cast spells on them. The judge denied the accusations,
telling
investigators that her practices were in accordance with the Christian faith.
She said: "I
splash my colleagues' desks with holy water every day, in the spirit of good
Christians'
rituals."

But inspectors who investigated the complaint for the Superior Magistracy
Council, a
judiciary watchdog, concluded that Judge Simionescu used "unorthodox methods
with her
court colleagues and maintained a constant tension by using occult practices and
witchcraft".

The council relieved the judge of her position as court president and reduced by
15 per
cent her monthly salary of £660 for three months, after hearing that she had
also
"misplaced" an important court document.

A local lawyer said: "She had many quarrels with people working in the court. We
were all
convinced that she was casting spells. I can tell you those people were
terrified."

The council would not comment on its decision and Judge Simionescu could not be
contacted.