João de Deus denies allegations in first court testimony

Psychic João Teixeira de Farias, also known as João de Deus, gave a testimony to the authorities on the sexual abuse allegations for the first time on Tuesday (Jul 2). The session was held in Abadiânia, Goiás state, and lasted two hours.

According to the medium’s lawyer Alberto Toron, he denied the accusations and said he never abused the women that visited the Casa Dom Inácio Loyola, in Abadiânia, where João de Deus provided his services to people seeking spiritual healing. The testimony was heard as part of the first case opened against him. João de Deus has been in jail since December 16 last year.

In March, at the request of the defense, the Superior Court of Justice authorized João de Deus to leave the custody unit in the metropolitan region of Goiânia, to be hospitalized at a private institution. Based on medical reports, the lawyers said he was in no condition to return to jail. After the treatment was over, the court ordered him to return to jail.

Reports

Thus far, prosecutors have filed nine reports against João de Deus, in which he is accused of sex crimes like statutory rape and sexual assault. The crimes started taking place at least since 1990, and were interrupted in 2018, when the first allegations surfaced on the press, the prosecutors said.