2024-09-24 04:23:58
The Attorney General’s Office has charged a 57-year-old priest from Santander with a crime of sexual violence against a minor. Vanguardia contacted the victim, who indicated that the preparatory hearing will take place on October 1 at the Moniquirá Circuit Criminal Court, Boyacá.
The events for which he is accused took place during 2007, when the parish priest was carrying out his duties in the parish of San Judas Tadeo, in Bogotá. At that time the priest was 36 years old and the victim was just 16 years old.
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“He was an altar boy. That’s how I met him. He came to Bogotá because he was studying canon lawbut he was also working as a priest. “He took my family’s trust, and that’s how he got away with the abuse,” said the person who reported the events.
The religious man abused the minor on a farm he owned located in the village of Guamos y Laderas, in the municipality of Chitaraque de Boyacá.
He was excommunicated by the Catholic Church
The victim was encouraged to report it in 2020. A parallel process began between the Office of the Attorney General and the Ecclesiastical Court of the Diocese of Socorro and San Gil.
“With the help of a group of lawyers I was able to progress the complaintalthough the process was not easy, of course, in the church,” he said.
For nearly four years, the diocese of Socorro and San Gil investigated the events. This meant that the religious was temporarily suspended from his duties. Because of this situation, the person investigated, in 2021, He wanted to ask the institution to withdraw.
When the victim found out about the priest’s ‘drama’, He had to ask the church not to give him this permission because he was not the samein terms of compensation, that the accused was left to his own decision rather than being expelled for a crime.
“The church refuses his request and so the process goes forward”added the victim.
After almost four years, on July 16, 2024, the Ecclesiastical Court of the Diocese of Socorro and San Gil He criticized the priest and expelled him, as a punishment.
On August 8, the victim was informed of this decision, which meant the first relief in a process with many obstacles.
“The most important thing, in my opinion, is that we have made progress in the pursuit of justicewithout a doubt, that the church has decided to expel him as a priest,” he said.
How is the process against the priest going?
The victim told Vanguardia that the investigation was in the hands of the Attorney General’s Office for three years. this 2024, The case was taken by the Moniquirá Circuit Criminal Court, Boyacá.
The judicial process is expected to proceed on October 1 and in a month, according to the court calendar, the religion’s alleged punishable conduct is decided
“In a month we would be talking about a sentencing hearing where it will be decided whether he is convicted or not”said the victim.
Regarding the priest in question, media outlets such as Ecolecuá and Casa Macondo showed that He held very important positions within the church as Diocesan Chancellor, Diocesan Treasurer and President of the Ecclesiastical Bench.
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In addition, he was a parish priest in several churches i San Gil, Mogotes, and Socorro, Santander.
Colprensa – Vanguardia
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