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First released in 2013, the VICE documentary “Teenage Exorcists” explores the lives of fervently religious teenagers in Phoenix, Arizona, who are dedicated to casting out demons and saving souls.

At the age of 18, Brynne Larson, together with her friends Tess and Savannah Sherkenback, aged 18 and 21 respectively, target the vulnerable and the distressed. They persuade these individuals that they are possessed by demons and that they need an exorcism performed by Brynne’s father, Reverend Bob Larson, a former televangelist.

In 2013, VICE’s Charlet Duboc traveled to Ukraine to follow the group, led by Reverend Bob, on their mission. They focused on aiding women who had suffered severe abuse and individuals recovering from drug addiction, claiming these people were afflicted by “sexually transmitted demons.”

“This town predominantly houses coal miners, and as a result, we see a high incidence of drug addiction,” explained Andrey Tishchenko, leader of the New Generation Church which welcomed Reverend Bob and the Teenage Exorcists. “Exorcism is employed here primarily to help individuals break free from their addictions.”

“Many believe drug addiction is solely a physical affliction, yet medical centers often fail to cure these individuals,” Tishchenko added. “We have established a network of 60 rehabilitation centers across Ukraine, where addicts are cared for and prayed over by trained ministers.”

The intense exorcism rituals led many participants to truly believe in their demonic possession.

During a dramatic public event, which was recorded and widely viewed, Reverend Bob confronted a woman named Olga Lakut. “Are you ready to fight the devil?” he asked her. He then began to forcefully press a bible against her back. Under the immense pressure of the situation and the public spectacle, Olga began to scream, stomp, shake, and groan. As the ceremony intensified, she was restrained by two men while the sisters placed a cross on her head.

Reflecting on the experience, Olga revealed, “I wasn’t aware that he was an exorcist. We were told he was a healer and liberator.” Initially, she had sought help for her varicose veins, but the event made her confront her childhood traumas.

“I felt dirty and ashamed,” she confessed. “When Bob Larson commanded me to renounce certain things, something unexpected began happening to me. Looking into his eyes, I felt it wasn’t me anymore, but something else staring back at him through my eyes.”

Olga told Charlet that although she felt disfigured and uncomfortable during the exorcism, afterwards, she experienced a sense of relief and lightness.

The effectiveness of Reverend Bob and his young collaborators in actually helping these troubled individuals remains controversial. Nonetheless, it appears that the three young women genuinely believe they are rescuing those they exorcise. Despite their privileged backgrounds and lack of personal abuse experiences, they remain convinced they are preventing trauma through their lifestyle choices, avoiding witchcraft, sex, drugs, violence, and even popular culture like Twilight and Harry Potter.

After participating in an exorcism herself, Charlet from VICE described her takeaway: “I mean, I obviously didn’t just exorcise a demon. I just made a woman cry and get angry and have some release, hopefully, by screaming and crying.”

She noted that the religious tools used, such as the Bible and cross, held merely symbolic meaning.

“All the women who were called out had been abused,” Charlet observed. “They had been physically mistreated by either their father or boyfriend. These women were then driven into a state of hysteria, largely by being physically restrained by two strong Ukrainian men. To me, that’s another form of abuse.”

The full documentary on these teenage exorcists can be viewed below.