Anna Elisabeth "Anneliese" Michel (21 September 1952 – 1 July 1976) was a German woman who underwent 67 Catholic exorcism rites during the year before her death.

After taking psychiatric medications for five years failed to improve her symptoms, Michel and her family became convinced she was possessed by a demon.

[4] Michel's parents and the two Catholic priests were found guilty of negligent homicide and were sentenced to six months in jail (reduced to three years of probation), as well as a fine.

[8] That same month, she was prescribed Aolept, which is similar to chlorpromazine and is used in the treatment of various psychoses including schizophrenia, disturbed behavior, and delusions.

[9] By 1973, she began experiencing depression, hallucinated while praying and complained about hearing voices telling her that she was "damned" and would "rot in hell.

[12][13] Her escort concluded that she was suffering from demonic possession because she was unable to walk past a crucifix and refused to drink the water of a Christian holy spring.

[12][11] The priests declined, recommended the continuation of medical treatment and informed the family that exorcisms required the bishop's permission.

In the Catholic Church, official approval for an exorcism is granted when the subject strictly meets the set criteria and is considered to be suffering from possession (infestatio) and under demonic control.

"[1] The priest Father Ernst Alt declared that Michel "didn't look like an epileptic" and that he did not observe her experiencing seizures.

"[10] In September 1975, Bishop Josef Stangl granted Father Arnold Renz permission to perform an exorcism according to the Rituale Romanum, but ordered total secrecy.

Michel began increasingly speaking about "dying to atone for the wayward youth of the day and the apostate priests of the modern church.

[21] She weighed 30 kilograms (66 lb), suffered broken knees from continuous genuflections, was unable to move without assistance and was reported to have contracted pneumonia.

On July 14, 1977, a New York Times article reported the Aschaffenburg prosecutor had announced that two Roman Catholic priests had been charged with negligent homicide in the death of Anneliese Michel, who had undergone exorcism a year previously.

Dr. Richard Roth, whom Alt had consulted for medical help, allegedly told Michel during the exorcism that "there is no injection against the devil, Anneliese.

"[11][failed verification] Schmidt-Leichner argued that the exorcism was legal and that the German constitution protected citizens in the unrestricted exercise of their religious beliefs.

In April 1978, the Michels and the two priests were convicted of negligent homicide but were given suspended prison sentences, and were ordered to share the costs of the legal proceedings.

[25] The Catholic Church now say she was not possessed but instead mentally ill.[5] After the trial, the Michels asked the authorities for permission to exhume the remains of their daughter because she had been buried in undue hurry in a cheap coffin.

[18] Michel's gravesite remains a pilgrimage site as she is "revered by small groups of Catholics who believe she atoned for wayward priests and sinful youth.