Congolese pastor gets 37 years for raping 5 church members

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Congolese pastor who had been sexually assaulting his congregation will be spending 37 years of his life in prison.

This is after he was sentenced by the High Court in Tshwane on multiple offences.

The 48 years old Pastor of God Is Love ministries, Bafomba Willy Emeka was convicted on the 22 September 2021 for 19 counts of rape, 3 counts of sexual assault, being illegal in the country and possession or using falsified permanent residence permit.

It is said according to NPA Spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana that Emeka committed all these offences between 2015 and 2018 in and around Bronkhorstspruit to five women who were also members of his congregation.

Emeka would lie to the said victims that they are sick, they need healing and he is the one who can give them healing. For them to be healed he would need to bless them.

“Emeka told one of his victims who was also assisting with baby-sitting Emeka’s children that by sleeping with him he was helping her take things that were inside her, out, and until those things came out she would not be able to conceive.”

“This continued for years from 2016 to 2018 until the women stopped attending the church after Emeka while at church told the congregation that he is the one that made her pregnancy to disappear.”

Mahanjana added that as a result of his actions, one of the victims fell pregnant but could not tell whether the child was of Emeka or her husband.

She is also awaiting DNA results.

The sexual assaults ended when one of the victims alerted a pastor at the church and the pastor advised her to take the matter to police in 2018 and he was later on arrested.

The Court ordered that his name be added on the National Register for Sexual Offenders. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.