More than 200 women accuse Brazil 'spiritual healer' of sex abuse

Brazilian midfielder Joao de Deus (Jean de Dieu), photographed in 2012, is accused of inciting women to commit sexual acts during individual sessions in which he claimed he was using his supernatural powers to heal them.

Brazilian midfielder Joao de Deus (Jean de Dieu), photographed in 2012, is accused of inciting women to commit sexual acts during individual sessions in which he claimed he was using his supernatural powers to heal them (AFP Photo / PEDRO LADEIRA)

In the state of Sao Paulo, a prosecutor told the media that more than 200 complaints had been received against Joao de Deus (Juan de Dios).

In the state of Sao Paulo, a prosecutor told the media that more than 200 complaints had been filed against Joao de Deus (Jean de Dieu) (photo AFP / PEDRO LADEIRA).

The personality of American television Oprah Winfrey, photographed in November 2018, made a show with Faria in 2013 after visiting him the previous year.

The personality of American television Oprah Winfrey, photographed in November 2018, made a program with Faria in 2013 after visiting it the previous year (AFP Photo / GIANLUIGI GUERCIA).

Patients pray the "House of Dom Inacio de Loyola" (House of Don Ignacio de Loyola) of Joao, which attracts almost 10,000 visitors each month, 40 percent of them from abroad.

Patients pray at the "House of Dom Inacio de Loyola" (House of Don Ignacio de Loyola) of Joao, which attracts almost 10,000 visitors every month, 40 percent of them from abroad (AFP Photo / PEDRO LADEIRA)


Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - More than 200 women have come to Brazil to accuse a world-renowned self-proclaimed spiritual healer of sexually assaulting them, according to media and police reports on Tuesday.

The charges against Joao Teixeira de Faria, 76, better known as "Joao de Deus" ("Joao de Dios") include charges that he allegedly asked women to commit sexual acts during individual during which he claimed to use his supernatural powers. to treat them

Faria, whose reputation goes beyond Brazil's borders, has fans in the United States, where celebrity and American TV producer Oprah Winfrey made a show about her in 2013 after visiting her the year before, as well as in Europe and Australia.

The Brazilian TV channel Globo TV and its associated newspaper O Globo reported last week's charges of a dozen women dating back eight years.

They said that Faria had forced them to masturbate or have oral sex, and he insisted that it was the only way to transfer their "clean" energy.

A woman, a Dutch choreographer identified as Zahira Leeneke Maus, told Globo TV that Faria had raped her.

- Hundreds get ahead -

The Faria healing center in the small town of Abadiania, near the Brazilian capital, did not respond to AFP's attempts to obtain comment on the charges.

Globo's G1 news website over the weekend cited a statement by Faria's press service that he had used his powers to treat thousands of people over the last 44 years and "vehemently rejects ( complaints) any wrong practice during your treatment ".

Since the first reports, many other women in Brazil have volunteered to file a complaint against the police against Faria.

Prosecutors in the state of Goiás, where Abadiania is located, said Tuesday that they had received 78 complaints from women who claimed to have been victims of the spiritual healer.

There were also more complaints in other states. In the state of Sao Paulo, a prosecutor told the media that more than 200 complaints had been received.

- Town suffers -

The accusations resonated in Brazil, where "Joao de Deus" had been widely respected and admired.

Three Brazilian presidents had asked for their services: former left-wing leaders Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his successor Dilma Rousseff, who had fought against cancer; and the current president Michel Temer, before a prostate operation.

Several foreign and Brazilian media have conducted critical investigations into Faria's claims of cure. Some have found previous accusations of sexual abuse and other irregularities for which Faria was never prosecuted.

The new allegations come amid a worldwide recognition of the alleged sexual misconduct of powerful men against women as part of the #MeToo campaign.

They threaten to decimate Abadiania's prosperity among the thousands of believers who come every year to see Faria.

The mayor of the city, quoted by the newspaper Estado de S. Paulo, said he feared that the tourist industry in Abadiania would collapse.

He added that the spiritual healer had attracted nearly 10,000 visitors each month, 40% of whom were foreigners.