João de Deus sentenced to another 40 years in jail

Psychic João Teixeira de Faria, popularly known as João de Deus, was sentenced to 40 years in custody for the rape of five women during spiritual healing sessions at the Casa Dom Inácio de Loyola, in the town of Abadiânia, Goiás state.

The sentence is reported to have been issued by Judge Rosângela Rodrigues dos Santos as part of a classified case. This is his third conviction, and sentences now add up to 63 years and four months in jail.

To decide on the sentence, the judge considered the defendant’s age (77) as a mitigating factor, compensated for, however, by the fact that João de Deus committed sexual violence in the exercise of his trade, which is based on the faith of his victims.

The medium has been in jail since December 16, 2018, and is also facing nine other counts of sexual crime charges.

Convictions

João de Deus’s first conviction for rape came shortly after one year of arrest, December 19, 2019. On the occasion, the psychic was sentenced to 19 years and four months in custody for four counts of rape.

He had been sentenced to four years in prison over illegal possession of firearms and should be tried for corruption and identity theft.