The Tanacu exorcism was a case in which Maricica Irina Cornici, an allegedly mentally ill nun at the Romanian Orthodox Church monastery of Tanacu in Vaslui County, Romania, was ruled to be killed during an exorcism in 2005 led by Father Daniel Petre Corogeanu and four Orthodox Christian nuns who were a part of the Order of the Holy Trinity.
[3][4] The coroner Dan Gheorghiu maintained that the nun's cause of death was due to an overdose of adrenaline given in the ambulance.
[3] Soon after, she began giggling during Mass and, by April, her mental state deteriorated and the doctors at the local psychiatric hospital diagnosed her disease as schizophrenia.
[3] A year later, a businessman from his home town recruited him to help build a monastery in the hills near the city.
[3] In order to restrain her from violent movements including those causing her to hit herself,[1] the nuns bound her hands and feet and locked her in her room as they participated in the liturgy commemorating the Ascension of Jesus.
[6] With regard to Cornici, Sister Arcalianu stated that "Irina knew that she was possessed by evil spirits because she was begging us to tie her up and help her.
[3] They put a towel into her mouth to stop her from cursing and prayed to cast out the Devil as they wet her lips with holy water.
[4] The Court of Appeals reduced his sentence to 7 years,[8] and Corogeanu was freed on parole in November 2011, after serving two-thirds of his punishment.
[9] As Maricica Irina Cornici was lowered into her grave during her funeral, "claps of thunder were heard", leading Corogeanu to conclude "that the will of God has been done".
"[6] In Tanacu, many people continue to maintain that Cornici was indeed possessed, rather than mentally ill, and that Corogeanu did his best to help her.
"[3] The 2012 movie Beyond the Hills directed by Cristian Mungiu was based on the novels written by Tatiana Niculescu Bran, and inspired by the Tanacu case.