Church Defrocks Chilean Priest for Child Sex Abuse

Globalpost
May 15, 2013

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130515/church-defrocks-chilean-priest-child-sex-abuse

A Chilean priest has been defrocked by his order for allegedly sexually abusing two minors, the country's Roman Catholic church said Tuesday.

The church had investigated the allegations against the priest, Hector Valdes, in 2008, but a new probe was ordered four years later by the archbishop of Santiago, Ricardo Ezzati.

The second investigation found Valdes "guilty of the crime of sexually abusing two minors, and abuse of his ministry," the church said in a statement.

Valdes "is hereby removed for life from exercising priestly ministry and the religious life," it said.

Chilean authorities who examined allegations in 2008 that Valdes had sexually abused a 17-year-old concluded there was insufficient evidence to investigate.

Valdes is one of about 20 priests in Chile who have been accused of child sex abuse, and at least five of them have been found guilty by Chilean courts in this predominantly Roman Catholic country.