Brazilian faith healer accused of sexually abusing 300 women surrenders to police

Spiritual leader known as ‘John of God’ allegedly attacked hundreds of victims including own daughter

A Brazilian faith healer accused of sexually abusing more than 300 women has surrendered to police.

Joao Teixeira de Faria, known by the name “John of God”, had been ordered to hand himself over to authorities by 3pm on Saturday and was deemed a fugitive after he missed the deadline.

He surrendered on Sunday afternoon on the outskirts of Abadiania, a city in the central state of Goias, a civil police officer said.

In a video released by newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, de Faria said he was surrendering: “to divine justice and justice on Earth”.

The 76-year-old was due to spend the night at the State Delegation of Criminal Investigations in the state capital, Goiânia.

For more than 40 years de Faria operated as a faith healer in a small town in central Brazil, becoming famous for “psychic surgeries”, which he insisted cure diseases including cancer.

Allegations surrounding his behaviour surfaced last week, with several individuals appearing on a Brazilian television to claim he had been sexually violent towards themselves or their relatives.

Following the broadcast, authorities were contacted by more than 300 more accusers, including de Faria’s adult daughter, Dalva Teixeira.

In an interview published on Friday by Brazilian magazine Veja, Ms Teixeira alleged her father had raped her between the ages of 10 and 14 under the pretence of mystical treatments.

She said her father stopped after she became pregnant by one of his employees. She went on to claim she had miscarried the child after de Faria beat her severely.

“My father is a monster,” she told the magazine.

Lawyers representing de Faria have said they will not be making public statements.

De Faria had reportedly denied the accusations on Thursday when he visited his spiritual centre and spoke to followers. His lawyer has previously said the healer would file an appeal after turning himself in to the authorities.

The faith healer has become something of a celebrity after attracting followers from around the world seeking spiritual guidance or cures.

He gained international exposure in 2012 when Oprah Winfrey visited his retreat to interview him for her talk show.

In a column for her website, which has since been removed, Winfrey wrote she was overwhelmed by the experience of seeing him cut into the breast of a woman without anaesthesia and she left feeling “an overwhelming sense of peace”.

Additional reporting by AP