By DPA,
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysian police have detained a 50-year-old shaman and his 43-year-old wife who are accused of molesting a teenager during treatment, news reports said Thursday.
The 19-year-old girl was believed to have gone to the home of the medicine man in the southern Johor state to seek treatment for muscle ache Tuesday night, the Star daily reported.
The victim was allegedly held to the ground by the suspect’s wife during treatment and her clothes removed by the shaman who then allegedly molested the girl.
Following a police report logged by the girl, the police have detained the suspect and his wife, district police chief Osman Mohamed Sebot confirmed.
“We believe there are more victims who did not lodge police reports,” Osman said, adding that the suspect was previously working as a lorry driver.
In spite of numerous reports of sexual assaults and fraud by bogus shamans, many rural ethnic Malays still look to the medicine man, or bomoh, for supernatural healing powers to cure diseases, cast out evil spirits or ward off ill fortune.