06.44 am, Friday May 25 2012

Woman 'raped' during Sydney prayer sessions

05:30 AEDT Wed Nov 18 2009
By ninemsn staff
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Two men will stand trial in NSW after allegedly posing as spiritual leaders and sexually assaulting a young woman during "prayer sessions".

Arthur Psichogios, 39, and Tony Golossian, 62, lured the victim to motels on the promise they could cure her family's black magic curse, the Daily Telegraph reports.

The two men committed more than 100 sex offences against the woman, who was just 23 years old when the alleged assaults began in 2001, as well as a second woman, police say.

Golossian, thought to be the mastermind behind the scam, posed as a leader in the Greek Orthodox and Coptic Orthodox churches, and told his victims he was an angel able to cure evil curses.

He is accused of drugging, blindfolding and raping the first victim at four motels in Sydney and on the NSW central coast between 2001 and 2005.

She told police she paid Golossian and Psichogios between $70,000 and $100,000 for the prayer sessions, which she was told were necessary to prevent family members from developing cancer, the Telegraph reports.

The second woman was allegedly assaulted during three prayer sessions during the first half of 2008.

Psichogios's wife, Frances, is also charged with aggravated sexual assault and using an intoxicating substance to commit an offence.

In a committal hearing in Burwood Local Court today, Psichogios was committed to stand trial at the NSW District Court.

His wife Frances and Golossian will also stand trial after waiving their right to a committal hearing.

A trial start date is yet to be set.

 

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