A Georgia jury on Tuesday found a man described as a “witch doctor” guilty of rape and other crimes after a woman said he sexually assaulted her during a supposed “healing ritual to remove evil spirits.”
Hassan Shalgeen, 45, was sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of rape, false imprisonment, theft by taking, sexual battery and battery, the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office said Wednesday.
Shalgeen was arrested early last year at his apartment in Duluth, just northeast of Atlanta, after a woman told authorities he had sexually assaulted her.
The victim went to the apartment to be “cleansed” during a previously arranged “ritual,” according to police.
The woman, who had contacted Shalgeen via social media, had sent him a deposit and told him she would send more money over the next 30 days.
She was instructed to go to his apartment alone, “wear a white robe, and not be on her menstrual cycle,” according to court records.
When she arrived, the victim was told the “ritual” would last three hours. She was also instructed to change into a nightgown, local television station WSB reported.
After initially refusing to take off her clothes, the woman changed her mind when she saw a handgun on a table, prosecutors said.
Shalgeen then “removed her clothing, forced himself onto the victim, and then sexually assaulted her.”
After the assault, he reportedly told her to give him another $300.
Following Shalgeen’s 2023 arrest, at least six other victims contacted authorities to report similar experiences.
“Victims should not have to feel like they are alone when dealing with this type of crime,” Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson, said Tuesday, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. “We encourage people who have experienced such heinous crimes to come forward and we will get justice. We thank the team that worked on this case, and we thank the jury for returning a conviction.”
