World
10:23, 17-Dec-2018
Brazilian faith healer accused of sexual abuse turns himself in
Updated
10:09, 20-Dec-2018
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A Brazilian faith healer who has been accused of sexual abuse by more than 300 women turned himself in a day after being officially ruled a fugitive, media outlets 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.
He 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.
(Top image: Spiritual healer João Teixeira de Faria arrives at a police station in Goiania, Brazil, December 16, 2018. /Reuters Photo)
Source(s): Reuters