A pastor charged with sexually assaulting a woman during a so-called "prayer of deliverance" at a Canberra church allegedly told a man who confronted him about the assault that it was between him "and the Holy Spirit".
Alofa Masina, 54, went on trial in the ACT Supreme Court today facing three charges of committing an act of indecency, and one of sex without consent.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied being present on at least one of the alleged occasions.
Woman believed she would be cursed if she refused: lawyer
Prosecutor Skye Jerome told the court the Crown's case was that any consent by the woman was negated, because she had believed she would be cursed if she did not go along with what Mr Masina suggested.
The court heard the woman had allegedly taken part in a "prayer of deliverance" with Mr Masina and another pastor.
The prosecutor said a prayer of deliverance was a religious act but not sexual in any way.
However, Ms Jerome alleged that Mr Masina had told the woman he needed to do a second prayer of deliverance, days later, at her home.
The prosecution's case was that the pastor allegedly told the woman she would need to go to bed with him, quoting Isaiah and Ezekiel from the Bible.
"She questioned the accused about whether this was adultery," Ms Jerome said, but had the "fear of God" and so did what Mr Masina said.
"She told police she did it because she thought she'd be cursed."
Ms Jerome told the court that after the first two incidents, the woman refused further sexual activity, causing Mr Masina to allegedly remark, "No wonder your husband left you."
Ms Jerome said that in the following days the woman rang Mr Masina to ask how long he had been after her, and he allegedly replied it was all part of the "prayer of deliverance".
Alleged victim felt 'fear of God', told pastor's wife
The woman says that after remonstrating with Mr Masina on the phone, the first person she told about the incident was his wife.
She told the court Mr Masina had called himself the prophet and at other times the apostle.
She said she had the fear of God at the time because he told her that if she did not comply with him, something would happen to her or her family.
She said that, until that moment, she had trusted him.
The woman defended not complaining about the incident in the immediate aftermath, saying she feared the embarrassment.
"At that time I felt so yucky."
She also said that during the incident she began to think it was bizarre.
"At the back of my mind, this is so wrong," she told the court.
"The guilty conscience was really piecing my … soul."
Pastor said matter was 'between me and the Holy Spirit'
The court heard the woman complained to several other people, including a friend who confronted Mr Masina.
The pastor then allegedly told this man that he would not talk about the claims, saying only, "It's between me and the Holy Spirit."
Ms Jerome said the Crown case would also include tendency evidence from three other women, two of whom claimed Mr Masina touched them inappropriately, and another who said she was asked sexually charged questions.
The court heard it would be revealed each woman said they were told not to reveal the exchange, with one alleging she was told that if she told anyone, someone would die.
Mr Masina's lawyer, Gregor Urbas, told the court he would challenge the claims about negated consent.
Dr Urbas said he would also challenge the dates of the alleged offences, when he says his client has an alibi.
