South African court acquits Nigerian pastor of rape charges

Televangelist Tim Omotoso in the dock. [Courtesy]

A South African court found a Nigerian televangelist not guilty on 32 charges Wednesday, eight years after he was jailed on accusations of raping and sexually assaulting several young women from his church.

Eastern Cape High Court judge Irma Schoeman said the prosecution had mishandled its case against Tim Omotoso, 66, senior pastor at the Jesus Dominion International (JDI) church based in South Africa.

Omotoso, arrested in 2017, fell to his knees and appeared to pray after the judge found him not guilty of all charges, which included sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

Schoeman said that while the pastor's explanations appeared improbable, state prosecutors had not proved beyond reasonable doubt their case against him and two assistants who also faced charges.

"The accused are found not guilty and are discharged on all the charges," she ruled.

The women who testified against Omotoso said they were handpicked by the pastor, who would pray for forgiveness after each encounter with them.

Some had been part of a gospel girl band called Grace Galaxy set up by the pastor and others were still at school, the judge said.

With South Africa battling high rates of rape and abuse of women and children, dozens of women picketed outside the court in the eastern coastal city of Gqeberha as the verdict was being read out.

Thousands of people rallied in several cities on Tuesday to demand that authorities take action after a seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped at her school last year. There have been no arrests.

According to police figures, 42,500 rapes were reported in South Africa in the financial year 2023-24.