UK Based Zim Pastor Jailed After Masking Sexual Assaults as Spiritual Rituals

A self-styled church leader and university professor who sexually assaulted women under the pretense of casting out demons has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by a Scottish court.

Walter Masocha (61) who once led an international congregation of more than 2,000 followers, was convicted of a series of sexual offences dating back to 2006, including the attempted rape of one victim and indecent assaults on another.

He carried out the abuse while presenting himself as a divine “gift from God.”

Masocha, originally from Zimbabwe and a former accountancy professor at the University of Stirling was found guilty at the High Court in Livingston following testimony from two women who described years of abuse masked as spiritual healing.

In sentencing, Judge Susan Craig called his conduct “appalling” and imposed non-harassment orders prohibiting any contact with the victims.

She also signaled that Masocha will likely remain on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard harrowing details from one victim, a married woman who Masocha groped during a supposed spiritual intervention at his home in Stirling.

She said the pastor claimed he was “removing demons” from her body.

Another woman, who was just 20 when she went to stay with Masocha’s family, testified that he repeatedly groped her and on one occasion, attempted to rape her in his bedroom.

She said she only narrowly managed to escape.

Both women described how Masocha exploited his spiritual authority and manipulated church teachings to justify his abuse.

“He was seen as a father figure. Everyone called him Dad or Daddy. He used that to his advantage,” one victim said.

Masocha founded the Agape for All Nations Ministries International in 2007, soon after relocating to the UK.

The charismatic preacher quickly grew his following, styling himself as “archbishop” and claiming spiritual healing powers.

But behind the pulpit, prosecutors said, was a man who preyed on the vulnerable and cloaked his crimes in theology.

“He wasn’t just a pastor and a preacher,” said advocate depute Michael McIntosh. “Walter Masocha was a predator who thought that his power and position rendered him immune from suspicion.”

Masocha had previously been convicted in 2015 for separate sexual offences, including assaulting a church deaconess and putting his hands down a schoolgirl’s trousers. Those convictions were later quashed by the appeals court, which found a miscarriage of justice.

The latest case was brought forward after two new victims came forward to police.

The trial marks a turning point for former members of the church who say they endured years of emotional and psychological manipulation.

Judge Craig’s ruling brings a measure of closure to the victims, though the trauma of Masocha’s betrayal, they say, will take far longer to heal.

Masocha, who denied all charges, showed no emotion as the verdict was delivered.