[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
A self-proclaimed “witch doctor” living near Atlanta has been sentenced to life in prison after he was found guilty of raping a woman during what he called a “ritual” meant for “spiritual cleansing.”
Last February, Hassan Shalgheen was arrested after inviting a woman to his Gwinnett County apartment for a “spiritual cleansing” service and then raping her. He charged $1,500 for the so-called “ritual,” of which the woman paid $200 up front and agreed to offer up the rest in installments.
When the woman got to his apartment, she was given a white nightgown to put on. Per Atlanta News First, the woman later told police she saw a handgun in the apartment when entering, so she reluctantly agreed to change. Then, Shalgheen told her the ritual would take about three hours.
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Instead of performing any ritual, though, the “witch doctor” moved straight to sexual assault. Per 11 Alive News, he forced himself on the woman and raped her twice. Then, he refused to let her go for several hours before finally allowing her to get dressed while demanding she send him another $300.
After the woman did so and left the apartment, she went straight to the Duluth Police Department to report the incident. Cops obtained a search warrant for Shalgheen’s apartment, then found evidence linking him to the incident when they turned up at his place. He was arrested and charged with rape, false imprisonment, theft by taking, sexual battery, and battery.
Well, on Tuesday, his trial ended, and on Wednesday, a jury came back with a verdict: guilty. A judge sentenced Shalgheen to life in prison. Going into that decision was the fact that after Shalgheen was arrested, a half-dozen MORE women came forward to police in Gwinnett County to report similar encounters with him. Two even testified against him at the trial!
Following the guilty verdict and life sentence, Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson released a statement to WAGA-TV:
“Victims should not have to feel like they are alone when dealing with this type of crime. 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.”
So glad this creep is behind bars now!
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources.
[Image via Atlanta News First/YouTube/Duluth Police Department]
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