The police arrested psychic João Teixeira de Faria, 76, known as João de Deus (John of God) on Sunday, after he after surrendered to the authorities. He met the officers on a dirt road outside Abadiânia, Goiás, where he keeps his spiritual healing center.
Several women accused him of molesting them during private consultations at his center.
The police officers arrived in three cars. João de Deus, who spent the last few days in a small ranch, showed up in a vehicle belonging to one of his lawyers.
See also:
- Twelve Women Accuse Medium John Of God Of Sexual Abuse
- Psychic Denies Allegations
- "He's The One Who Should Feel Ashamed, Not Me"
Minutes before turning himself in, João de Deus spoke to Folha. "I am giving myself over to the divine justice and the earthly justice," he said. He stopped the interview short saying he wasn't feeling well.
Trembling, he asked for a sublingual medication. He is known to have cardiac issues.
João de Deus' attorneys say that the preemptive arrest order is illegal and unfair. According to them, "only a few testimonies of a small number of unnamed victims justified the arrest order."
The Goiás State Attorney's office said it received 335 sexual abuse claims against João de Deus, coming from six other countries than Brazil: Germany, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, United States, and Switzerland.
Translated by NATASHA MADOV