Two evangelical pastors are on the run after police in Brazil issued arrest warrants for the alleged sexual assault of at least six young girls, whom they are accused of grooming and exploiting in the name of God. The Roraima Court officially issued preventive arrest warrants for Wenderson Lima de Souza, 32, and Arielly Kamila Moraes de Souza, 24, on July 16.
Alleged Abuse at Church
For five years, the duo led the Assembleia de Deus AD Kairos church in the Cinturao Verde neighbourhood in the west of Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima state in northern Brazil. According to the investigation, Arielly Kamila Moraes de Souza is alleged to have lured and approached the girls while her husband used his position as a religious leader and interpretations of Bible passages to persuade them that sexual acts served a spiritual purpose.
Roraima public security secretary, delegate Eliane Goncalves stated: "They spoke about how it was in the verses, that it was from God, that they had been sent to carry out those acts against the children. Some of the alleged victims reported that they questioned whether this was not wrong, and they, using the children's faith, carried out these abuses."
Manipulation and Coercion
The couple allegedly offered money via bank transfers and other incentives such as meals to keep the teenagers quiet, according to the Child and Adolescent Protection Police Station. The church's founding documents reportedly discouraged complaints by instilling fear of being accused of rebellion among members. The investigation started after a 14-year-old girl made a complaint in April, with five additional alleged victims subsequently coming forward with comparable allegations.
Six alleged victims aged between 12 and 17 have been identified. A further five displayed evidence of alleged victimisation but declined to provide formal statements. Police stated: "The sexual practices were the result of a systematic chain of manipulation, abuse of religious authority, blackmail, and psychological coercion, which rules out any claim of voluntariness and reinforces the seriousness of the crimes committed, due to reverential fear."
Pastors Flee
When the probe was launched, the pair suddenly deserted the church premises. The property owner informed police that Wenderson Lima de Souza and Arielly Kamila Moraes de Souza vanished without handing back the keys, leaving the building damaged and with substantial outstanding debts for rent, water, electricity and local council tax.
Wenderson Lima de Souza faces investigation for six charges including rape of a vulnerable person, sexual harassment, favouring the sexual exploitation of a vulnerable adolescent, unauthorised recording of sexual intimacy, procedural fraud and ideological falsehood. Arielly Kamila Moraes de Souza is under investigation for rape of a vulnerable person, sexual harassment and procedural fraud.
Accomplice Charged
Civil Police also charged a 20-year-old woman for her suspected involvement in the case. Acting on Pastor Wenderson Lima de Souza's instructions, the woman assisted in erasing data from his mobile phone and got rid of the device. The pastors allegedly coerced one of the teenagers into filing a bogus police report claiming the mobile had been misplaced or stolen. The 20-year-old is facing charges of procedural fraud and corruption of minors.
The matter is being dealt with under judicial secrecy owing to the involvement of minors. Preventive arrest warrants have been issued for the duo, though local media reported that Wenderson Lima de Souza and Arielly Kamila Moraes de Souza scarpered to Manaus, the city where he was born and has relatives. Eliane Goncalves explained: "Their whereabouts are uncertain. We don't know where they are, because otherwise we would have arrested them already. Both pastors are fugitives."
The defence teams for the pastors said they are innocent, first-time offenders with good records and no prior criminal proceedings.
