Spiritual healers accused of sexual abuse in Morocco and Sudan, a BBC investigation finds

Distressing stories of sexual abuse by spiritual healers against women who seek their help has been revealed by a BBC investigation into the Quranic healing practices in Morocco and Sudan.

The BBC investigation unveiled some horrific patterns of sexual assault by Moroccan and Sudanese spiritual healers toward the women who seek their services.

In the Muslim community, Quranic healers are popular, and women commonly seek their assistance to resolve problems that they believe can be resolved through exorcism.

BBC received 85 testimonials from women over a two-year period who accused 65 healers in both Morocco and Sudan of engaging in various types of sexual assault, from harassment to rape.

BBC investigators used information from NGOs, courts, attorneys, and women to corroborate the allegations of abuse.

An undercover reporter who sought treatment from one of these healers for their inquiry was groped and touched improperly before running away, according to the BBC.

One incident that occurred in Casablanca involved Dalal (a pseudonym), a woman who asked a healer for spiritual guidance in her mid-20s.

Dalal believes that the healer drugged her during one of their one-on-one sessions, and when she awoke, she discovered she had been raped.

“she screamed at the Quranic healer and demanded to know what he had done to her. He said: ‘To make the jinn leave your body,’ according to the BBC.

The pregnancy brought on by the rape made Dalal’s circumstances worse and drove her to suicidal thoughts.

The healer attributed her subsequent pregnancy to the jinn. Later, Dalal gave the child up for adoption. 

Many of the women who talked to the BBC claimed that they kept their abuse from their family and the police out of concern that they would be held responsible if they reported it.

 Some women admitted that they were also concerned that sharing what had occurred may incite the jinn to exact revenge on them.