Brazil faith healer accused of sexual abuse turns himself in

 

Brazilian spiritual healer Joao Teixeira de Faria, known as "John of God", arrives at a the police station a day after being officially ruled a fugitive, in Goiania, Brazil December 16, 2018. REUTERS/Metropoles/Igo Estrela

 

BRASILIA (Reuters) - A Brazilian faith healer who was accused of sexual abuse by more than 300 women has turned himself in a day after being officially ruled a fugitive, local news media reported on Sunday.

 

João Teixeira de Faria, known as "John of God" and who became a celebrity when Oprah Winfrey broadcast a report on his healing methods in 2013, surrendered to authorities in a roadway in Abadiânia, several news outlets said. Since 1976, he has led a spiritual center in Abadiânia, a small town in the central Brazilian state of Goiás.

 

Representatives for Faria and police could not be immediately reached for comment.

 

A judge on Friday had issued an arrest warrant for Faria giving until 2 p.m. (1600 GMT) on Saturday to surrender. After he failed to report to authorities, Faria was officially ruled a fugitive.

 

Faria drew thousands of Brazilians and foreigners to his spiritual center in Abadiânia.

 

Faria denied the accusations on Thursday when he visited his center and spoke to a crowd of followers. His lawyer on Saturday said Faria would turn himself in and file an appeal on Monday.

Faria, 76, could face charges of rape, with a prison sentence of 10 years if convicted, and rape of a vulnerable person, which carries a sentence of up to 15 years.

 

(Reporting by Bruno Federowski; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-12-17

Faith Healer......"open your body to me so that I may cleanse and rejuvenate it" and they did.....silly silly ladies

42 minutes ago, petermik said:

Faith Healer......"open your body to me so that I may cleanse and rejuvenate it" and they did.....silly silly ladies

nice bit of victim blaming there

44 minutes ago, PremiumLane said:

nice bit of victim blaming there

It is called taking some responsibility for your own actions. Yes, I know it is not really a popular thought these days.

Read the story in the Guardian, one woman said she was made to masturbate him,against her will? <deleted> how does that work,instead of leaving she stayed and she said he later raped her,so she had given him a hand job,but elected to stay,sounds strange to me.