A court in Azuay sentenced healer Juan Ismael J. to 29 years and four months in prison for rape after overturning an earlier ruling that had cleared him of wrongdoing.
The sentence came after prosecutors appealed the original decision, arguing that the evidence presented during trial clearly established the defendant’s responsibility.
The case began in December 2022 when a 26-year-old woman and her mother visited the healer’s shop near the Nueve de Octubre market in Cuenca for ancestral medicine sessions.
During the visits, Juan Ismael J. told the woman she suffered from a serious illness and needed treatment. He carried out alleged cleansing rituals and physical manipulations during the sessions.
The woman eventually stopped attending because she considered several of the practices inappropriate.
On October 2, 2024, she returned to resume the treatments. During the session, the healer repeated similar practices and asked her to return later that afternoon to complete the treatment.
After leaving, the woman felt dizzy and went home before returning to the shop at around 4:00 p.m. During the later session, she lost consciousness. When she regained awareness, she realized she was being sexually assaulted.
The victim contacted ECU 9-1-1, and police officers responded to the scene and arrested the suspect. Evidence was collected from the property, and the woman was taken for medical evaluation.
During the proceedings, prosecutors presented toxicology results showing the victim’s urine sample tested positive for ecstasy. DNA evidence also linked the convicted man to biological material found on the victim’s clothing and bodily fluids, as well as on a piece of cotton recovered at the scene.
The court also reviewed testimony from the victim, her mother, medical experts, and investigators involved in the case.