'Witch doctor' sentenced to life for brutal attack on woman during 'cleansing ritual'

A self-described "witch doctor" was sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting a woman during what he called a "cleansing ritual."

Hassan Shalgheen, 45, was found guilty Tuesday by a jury in Georgia of rape, false imprisonment, theft by deception, battery and sexual battery for the February 2023 attack, and investigators say four other women later came forward to report similar experiences, reported WAGA-TV.

The victim met Shalgheen at his Duluth apartment to receive a "healing ritual to remove evil spirits," for which she paid him a $200 deposit and agreed to make additional payments over 30 days, after booking an appointment through social media.

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Shalgheen told the woman the ritual would take three hours and gave her a white nightgown, and while the woman did not want to undress, she told police that she was afraid after seeing a handgun sitting on a table.

Police said Shalgheen then stripped the woman and forced her to have sex with him twice, and after allowing her to get dressed he demanded another $300.

Two of the other victims testified against Shalgheen at trial, and the jury took a day and half to deliberate before reaching a guilty verdict.

"Victims should not have to feel like they are alone when dealing with this type of crime," Austin-Gatson said. "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."