SPAIN
Yahoo! News
Madrid (AFP) – A Spanish court ruled Tuesday that the archdiocese of the southern city of Granada can be held civilly liable for the alleged sexual abuse of a teenage altar boy by several priests, in a case drawing intervention from Pope Francis.
Judge Antonio Moreno justified his decision on the grounds that accused Catholic priests “responded directly to the archdiocese of Granada” and because the events allegedly took place at parish headquarters.
The judge said any financial compensation which the archdiocese must pay would be established at a later date.
Spanish authorities opened their investigation late last year after a 25-year-old man filed a police complaint alleging that he was sexually abused by several priests in Granada when he was an altar boy between 2004 and 2007. He was aged 14 when he was first abused.
Pope Francis in November told reporters he received a letter documenting abuse from an alleged victim and called him, telling him to report it in person to the Granada diocese.
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