The case of the religious leader accused of sexually abusing several minors attending the Philadelphia Baptist Church, in Guará (DF), could end with more people incriminated. The Civil Police of the Federal District (PCDF) emphasizes that other religious leaders, including the father of the criminal, acted to cover up the crimes.
Understand the case
- The perpetrator, Gabriel de Sá Campos, 30, abused at least four teenagers who attended the Philadelphia Baptist Church.
- The crimes have been taking place since 2019 and the victims were between 10 and 16 years old when they were first attacked. All raped adolescents are men.
- Gabriel is the son of the church president and worked in the parish as head of a sort of “sexuality ministry,” an area responsible for providing sex education counseling to teenagers in the unit.
- The individual took advantage of the freedom he had to deceive the victims and gain the trust of the young men. In some cases, he took them to his home; in others, he committed abuses on church premises.
- According to reports, he caressed the children’s private parts, who felt uncomfortable and asked to stop, but the rapist ignored them. To stop the harassment, some boys would hide in bathrooms or ask their parents to look for them.
- Gabriel relied on the “blind eye” of other Church members, who ignored the families’ complaints.
The case is being investigated by the 4th police station (Guará). The unit found that on November 9 this year, a deacon called Gabriel’s sexual abuse a “misunderstanding.” He also asked for a “secrecy pact”.
The deacon in question, whose name was not revealed, also said during the meeting that “the problems of the Church are solved in the Church, not in the police.” For the civil police, the attitude of the cleric constitutes a “clear attempt to obstruct justice”.
Gabriel’s father, whose name has also been withheld until now by the police authorities, is said to be another cover for the criminal. When one victim’s parents sought out the leader, he said the events were a “joke” and an “unintentional act.”
The attacker’s mother also allegedly confronted the minors while they were away from their parents, accusing them of “false testimony” and threatening to sue the victims.
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“Serial rapist”
PCDF considers former Philadelphia Baptist Church leader a serial rapist. According to the delegate in charge of investigations, Herbert Léda, the circumstances of the crimes classify the evangelical leader Gabriel Campos as a “serial rapist”.
“Because he committed more than four rapes against vulnerable people, he is already considered a serial rapist,” specifies the prefect of police. Just like in homicides, when (a perpetrator) kills more than three people with the same modus operandi, he is considered a serial killer, he (Gabriel Campos) is considered a serial rapist,” he explains.
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