Twelve women accuse Brazilian ‘spiritual healer’ of sexual abuse

SEVERAL women have come forward in Brazil to accuse an internationally known self-proclaimed spiritual healer of sexually abusing them under the pretext of trying to “cure” them of depression or other problems.

The allegations against Joao Teixeira de Faria, 76, better known as “Joao de Deus” (“Joao of God”) were made on a programme on the widely-viewed Globo Television network.

A Dutch choreographer identified as Zahira Leeneke Maus and nine Brazilian women who remain anonymous accused Mr Faria of making them perform sexual acts on him, which he insisted was the only way to transfer his “cleansing” energy to them.

Ms Maus also told the programme that Mr Faria had raped her.

The associated O Globo newspaper later reported that it had spoken to two other women who gave similar accounts of sexual abuse by Mr Faria, bringing the total to a dozen. All the women said they were aged in their 30s when the alleged acts took place between 2010 and early this year in Mr Faria’s “spiritual hospital” in the town of Abadiania, near the capital Brasilia.

Globo’s G1 news website cited a statement from Mr Faria’s press service, saying he had used his powers to treat thousands of people over the past 44 years and “he vehemently rejects (allegations of) any improper practice during his treatments”.

Mr Faria’s reputation reaches far beyond Brazil, with followers in the United States, Europe and Australia.

Oprah Winfrey, the US television celebrity and producer, visited Mr Faria in 2013 to look into his “miracles”.

An investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald in 2014 found that his “hospital” generated thousands of dollars of revenue in herb sales alone every day.

Past media investigations uncovered previous allegations of sexual abuse and other improprieties but Mr Faria has never been prosecuted.