Woman behind the arrest of John of God takes her own life
Woman behind the arrest of faith healer John of God after claiming he was running a ‘sex slave farm’ commits suicide at her home in Barcelona
Sabrina Bittencourt died after accusing faith healer John of God of sex abuse. She claimed he kept women captive and exported their children on black market. The faith healer has been accused of abusing hundreds of women in Brazil.
By Natalia Penza For Mailonline
Published: 08:37 GMT, 4 February 2019
A woman who helped to bring down a Brazilian faith healer accused of sex abuse has taken her own life in Spain.
Sabrina Bittencourt, 38, died at her home in Barcelona just days after accusing John of God – real name Joao Teixeira de Faria – of running a ‘sex slave farm’.
She claimed young girls were held captive in a farming operation which exported babies on the black market.
The women would be murdered after ten years of having babies in the alleged scheme run by the 77-year-old celebrity faith healer, who was arrested last year after hundreds of women accused him of abuse, she said.
Sabrina Bittencourt (pictured), 38, died at her home in Barcelona just days after accusing John of God – real name Joao Teixeira de Faria – of running a ‘sex slave farm’
Ms Bittencourt left Brazil and was forced to live under protection after receiving death threats.
Her eldest son Gabriel Baum confirmed her death, writing on Facebook: ‘She took the last step so that we could live. They killed my mother.’
Sex abuse victim support group Victimas Unidas, who worked with the 38-year-old, said: ‘We announce with regret the death of Sabrina de Campos Bittencourt, which occurred around 9pm on Saturday on February 2 in Barcelona where she was living.
‘The activist committed suicide and left a farewell note explaining the reasons why she took her own life.’
Before her death she was quoted as saying: ‘Hundreds of girls were enslaved over years, lived on farms in Goias, served as wombs to get pregnant, for their babies to be sold.’
‘These girls were murdered after 10 years of giving birth. We have got a number of testimonies.’
Ms Bittencourt had received reports of children being sold for between £15,000 and £40,000 in Europe, Australia and the United States, she said.
Faria, known as ‘John of God’, arrives at a police station in Goiania, Brazil, last December
Hundreds of around the world have already accused John of God of sexually abusing them during healing sessions.
The faith healer became a wanted man after ten women accused him of abuse during a late night chat show on Brazil’s Globo TV network last year.
After the initial interview on TV authorities were reportedly contacted by more than 600 other accusers, including Faria’s adult daughter, Dalva Teixeira.
He was arrested in December and remanded in custody before being charged with rape and sexual assault.
John of God – known as Joao de Deus in his native language – denies all of the charges against him.
Faria rose to international fame for his ‘psychic surgeries’ that he claimed could cure diseases, including cancer.
The faith healer gained international fame in 2010 when Oprah Winfrey visited his retreat to interview him for her talk show.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and supermodel Naomi Campbell are among those rumoured to have visited him.
She's in this video at 8:30
February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 332 days remain until the end of the year
Sabrina Campos, better known as Sabrina Bittencourt (São Paulo, December 24, 1980 - Lebanon, February 2, 2019) was a Brazilian activist
"Sabrina Campos" = 220 (Reverse Ordinal) Death date 2/2
"Sabrina C Bittencourt" = 214 (English Ordinal)
"Sabrina Bittencourt" = 211 (English Ordinal)
"‘We announce with regret the death of Sabrina de Campos Bittencourt, which occurred around 9pm on Saturday on February 2 in Barcelona where she was living" = 614 (Full Reduction)
"‘We announce with regret the death of Sabrina de Campos Bittencourt, which occurred around 9pm on Saturday on February 2 in Barcelona where she was living" = 614 (Full Reduction)
"‘We announce with regret the death of Sabrina de Campos Bittencourt, which occurred around 9pm on Saturday on February 2 in Barcelona where she was living" = 704 (Reverse Full Reduction)
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