Chilean Priest Convicted for Sexually Abusing Boys
Nigerian Times
A former Chilean priest was convicted in four sexual abuse cases on Tuesday and could face up to 15 years in prison.
The former priest was the administrator for the Hogar de Menores (Young Persons Home) San Juan Bosco and priest at the Immaculate Conception Parish of Cunco in Temuco, Chile about 650 Kilometres (400 miles) south of Santiago from 2004 to 2011.
The crimes were carried out between the years 2006 and 2011, though the public prosecutor of Temuco, Omar Merida, said there was evidence the 53-year-old priest had been abusing youngsters for years before.
“The evidence we presented showed that these same acts had been occurring for at least the last 20 years,” Merida said.
However, Rogel’s lawyer, Marcel Contreras, said his client had no history of previous charges.
According to local reports referencing the court ruling, the priest used his position of authority over his young victims and even gave them alcohol and spending money to encourage them to perform sexual acts on him.
All the victims were boarding school students between the ages of 14 and 16-years-old.
Are residents said they were shocked by the case.
The prosecuting attorney’s office has sought a sentence of 15 years. The court will hand down the sentencing during a hearing scheduled for Sunday.
Two additional charges brought against the former parish priest, Orlando Rogel Pinuer, were dropped for lack of evidence.
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