Avellino: Fake faith healer arrested for sexual assault; victim: 23-year-old

He allegedly presented himself as a healer capable of treating physical and spiritual health, but according to the prosecution, he took advantage of the young woman who had sought him out for alleged therapies. A 60-year-old man, resident in the province of Avellino, was arrested by the Carabinieri on charges of sexual assault against a 23-year-old woman.

The case emerged after the girl filed a complaint. Last August, she began visiting the man at his home in Rione Parco. According to the investigation, the alleged healing practices escalated into sexual abuse.

The Avellino Public Prosecutor's Office coordinated the investigation. The support the young woman received from the anti-violence center where she had been sheltered was also crucial, helping her find the strength to tell the police what had happened.

When the girl allegedly tried to end the relationship, the man allegedly responded with threats. "If you don't stay with me, your life will become hell," he allegedly told her, also threatening to release recordings of the encounters.

In addition to the sexual assault charge, the 60-year-old must also answer for threats and harassment. Based on the evidence gathered during the investigation, the investigating judge of the Avellino Court ordered the man to be placed under house arrest. The 23-year-old's complaint thus triggered the intervention of investigators, who reconstructed the incident and led to the issuance of the precautionary measure.