We are profoundly disheartened by the serious allegations of sexual misconduct by João Teixeira de Faria (John of God) at his facility in Brazil. As a lifelong learning organization committed to exploring different modalities of holistic healing, Omega offered an opportunity to participate in John of God’s programs at our Rhinebeck, New York, campus a number of times beginning in 2007 and ending in 2017. During this period, no such incident was ever reported at Omega. We know that it takes courage and risk for victims to come forward and share their stories of abuse publicly, and that investigations take time. We are following the story as it develops, and hope all the facts come to light so that appropriate and just action can be taken.
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Update: On December 19, 2019 João Teixeira de Faria (John of God) received his first prison sentence following numerous sex abuse allegations since late last year. A judge in the Goias state of Brazil issued a sentence of 19 years and four months for four rapes of different women, according to a statement from the court. John of God is facing additional cases related to 10 sex crimes, according to the court's statement. We stand with the victims of these horrible abuses of power, and are glad to see justice being served.