BRAZIL
ninemsn
AP - A Roman Catholic priest in south-eastern Brazil had been sentenced to 93 years in jail for molesting young boys, the cleric's attorney said.
Father Alfieri Eduardo Bompani, 60, was arrested in 2002 after 15 men came forward with allegations that he had abused them over a 15-year period. It was unclear when the abuse began or what age the men were at the time.
"The sentence was extremely harsh and unjust especially since my client is absolutely innocent," Bompani's attorney, Abramo Rubens Cutter, said in a telephone interview.
The sentence handed down by Judge Marcelo Siqueira was largely symbolic, since in Brazil the statutory limit for any crime is 30 years.
Posted by kshaw at December 19, 2004 08:34 AM