▲ "John of God" Image source: Australian television nine website
"I'm just an ordinary farmer"
According to the ABC, the so-called "John of God" is a Brazilian man, formerly known as Joao Teixeira de Faria, who claims that when he was 16 years old, "King Solomon" entered his body and thus possessed the ability to cure diseases. However, he described himself as "just an ordinary farmer" and "just wanted to do something good for the world."
▲ Faria practices medicine without a license, performs eye treatment for patients Image source: Australian television nine website
Faria claims to have so-called healing powers, both "psychiatric healing" and bloody and crude "physical therapy" (i.e., surgery). He said patients standing in front of him often make a quick diagnosis with just one glance, write down prescriptions, and even schedule surgeries. He said God used him as a medium to heal patients through his hands. Thus, faria dared to operate on patients who opted for "physical therapy" without any anesthesia, and his favorite tool was a pair of medical scissors that had been inserted directly into the patient's nasal cavity.
▲ Faria who is "treating" patients Source: Australian television nine website
In addition, Faria will ask patients to enter the "meditation room" and "treat" with the "spiritual healing method" that does not require surgery. In the "meditation room," patients open their palms to the sky, praying that they are healed and unable to communicate with each other because "this interferes with the flow of energy." Patients pray for 8 hours a day, and for 40 days they cannot eat any spicy food or drink alcohol, and then they will "heal" themselves.
Faria claims that the combination of the two therapies can cure blindness, paralysis, cancer, leprosy and more. He also said that if the patient does not recover, it is not a matter of treatment, but the patient's own fault — he attributed the reason to "late arrival" or "the patient is not religious in prayer."
"Crystal Bed" and "Pill"
If you don't want to undergo surgery, Faria has another set of medications. According to australia's "60-minute survey", he has a "crystal bed" in his home for people to pay for 25 US dollars (about 158 yuan) each time. Although the single charge is not high, due to the endless flow of visitors, Faria earned about $1.8 million (about 11.42 million yuan) from this so-called "crystal bed" alone.
In addition, Faria also sells homemade "Blessing Water" (priced at US$1 per bottle, about 6.3 yuan) and "Blessing Herb Pills" (each bottle costs US$25, about 158 yuan). An Australian doctor tested the pills and found them to be nothing more than a supplement containing passionflower.
▲ "Crystal Bed" Image source: Australian TELEVISION Nine website
What made Faria even more famous was the celebrity effect. In 2012, Oprah Gail Winfrey, a well-known American TV talk show host, traveled to Brazil to interview Faria. Even football star Ronaldo has had contact with Faria.
▲ Oprah and Faria Source: Australian Television Nine website
Suspected of sexual assault
According to the Washington Post, a Dutch girl named Zahira Lieneke Mous has exposed Faria's crime of sexually assaulting herself, and she is only one of hundreds of victims.
Beforehand, Zahira had read all of Faria's books and watched all his videos about "healing", and she was convinced that Faria could heal her mental wounds. At the first meeting, Faria only prescribed her a prescription, but Zahira felt that there was no effect, so Faria arranged a second private consultation for her, "Psychiatric Healing", and Zahira agreed.
Faria took Zahira into the bathroom of her office and then assaulted her— during which Faria had been stressing that this was part of the "psychiatric treatment" and telling Zahira, "You should be happy." ”
▲ Faria was interviewed in "Intraoperative" Source: Australian Television Nine website
Another Brazilian woman said she was treated for breast cancer in 2017. Later, she heard that Faria could completely cure cancer, so she came to his clinic. Faria told her that further "treatment" was needed to make the tumor disappear completely.
Faria took her into her office, told her not to tell anyone what was about to happen, and then began to stroke her breasts, which she ran away screaming. Faria threatened her: "I am doing everything I can to help you, but if you do not cooperate, the tumor will not disappear and will worsen." ”
"In most sexual assault cases, the number of victims generally increases gradually as the investigation progresses, but in Faria's case, we were almost overwhelmed from the start." Luciano Miranda Meireles, a prosecutor for the John of God case investigation task force, said in an interview with The Associated Press.
▲ Faria tells patients that wearing white clothing helps with "energy therapy" Image source: Australian television nine website
As of 2018, police had received more than 600 allegations of sexual assault against Faria, according to the Australian television nine website. Faria then turned herself in to the police and was sentenced to 19 years and 4 months in prison in December 2019 for raping four women. On January 20, 2020, Faria was sentenced to another 40 years in prison for raping five women, his third conviction. These sentences add up to 63 years and 4 months. Court documents show that Faria tried to withdraw nearly $12 million (about 76.16 million yuan) from his bank account before turning himself in.
▲ Faria performs surgery on patients Image source: Australian television nine website
In response, Joe Schwarcz, a professor at McGill University in Canada, expressed indignation, "I know that there are a lot of people who are seriously ill or undergoing chemotherapy who wish they can be cured, and desperate people will do desperate things." But he (Faria) is absolutely acting recklessly, there is no doubt about it. ”
This article is originally created by the WeChat public account "China Anti-Cult", author: Ruowen, please indicate the source when reprinting