MALTA
Malta Independent
I went to Fr Charles to adopt. He told me to leave my husband. Later he tried to kiss me – victim
Today, The Malta Independent is publishing parts of a sworn affidavit by one of the alleged victims regarding an alleged sexual abuse by a Dominican priest in which she gives details of her intimate relationship with him.
In her affidavit, she gives a chronological account of the various times she and Fr Charles Fenech were involved sexually.
She said that after her marriage was annulled, she threw a party to which Fr Charles Fenech was invited. It was here that he tried to kiss her for the first time.
The relationship developed into a roller-coaster of events, with the two at times close to each other and at other times staying apart.
She submitted a complaint to the Curia’s Response Team in 2006 and a decision on her case has
The following is an abridged version of the sworn affidavit submitted to the police by one of the victims about the way she was allegedly abused by Fr Charles Fenech. The names of other alleged victims mentioned by this woman were removed to protect their identity. The Malta Independent on Sunday has taken care not to publish the explicit details of what allegedly took place between Fr Charles Fenech and this particular victim.
“In 1991, as a young woman, a friend of mine took me to the Kerygma Movement where I met Fr Charles Fenech for the first time. After some time he became my spiritual director and he used to tell me to keep eye contact with him but I always felt uncomfortable doing it.
“In 1997, six years later” I got married and I left the Kerygma group. Fr Charles Fenech was still my spiritual director. My ex-husband and I could not have children so I decided to go to Fr Fenech, who at that time was responsible for the adoption of children from Albania. When I went, he told me that it is not worth it but it would be better if I leave my husband because I had no future with him. So I requested a (marriage) annulment which was given to me (in 2000). All this was a trauma for me and I had to seek treatment.
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