Church pastor jailed over sexual offences claims ‘campaign’ against him

5 Jun 2026 • 12:15 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Church pastor jailed over sexual offences claims ‘campaign’ against him

  • Disgraced church pastor Walter Masocha, who was jailed for sexually abusing women, is appealing his conviction and 10-year sentence, claiming a "conspiracy" against him.
  • Masocha was convicted of four charges at the High Court in Livingston in July 2025 for sexually abusing two women between January 2006 and July 2012 in Stirling and Edinburgh.
  • His lawyer, Mark Moir KC, argued at the Court of Appeal that there was a miscarriage of justice because a Section 275 application, allowing evidence on complainers' sexual history, was not accepted at trial.
  • Mr Moir also contended that a former witness had orchestrated a "campaign" against Masocha, inviting people to come forward, leading Masocha to believe the complainers had "come together and conspired" against him.
  • The original sentencing judge, Judge Craig, described Masocha as an "opportunistic sexual predator" who grossly breached the trust of his victims, who believed him to be a prophet capable of miracles.

IN FULL