LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — A Spanish Jesuit priest who died in 2012 has been accused of sexually abusing a minor in Bolivia three decades ago, the latest in a string of pedophilia cases that have shaken the Catholic Church in this Andean country.Jorge Vila Despujol, who died in Barcelona in 2012, was formally accused before prosecutors Thursday by a person who alleges they were indecently touched when they were 13, the Jesuit Society in Bolivia said in a statement. The name of the alleged victim is being kept confidential.
The abuse allegedly occurred when the victim was at an educational institution in the central region of Cochabamba, although no further details were given.
Vila Despujol founded the organization Defense of Children International in Bolivia, which promotes the rights of minors. The organization is still active, and it condemned all forms of abuse in a statement in which it also urged other victims file reports with the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The Jesuits in Bolivia have been in the spotlight since the Spanish newspaper El País published excerpts from the diary of late priest Alfonso Pedrajas a few weeks ago, in which he admitted to sexuall …
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The abuse allegedly occurred when the victim was at an educational institution in the central region of Cochabamba, although no further details were given.
Vila Despujol founded the organization Defense of Children International in Bolivia, which promotes the rights of minors. The organization is still active, and it condemned all forms of abuse in a statement in which it also urged other victims file reports with the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The Jesuits in Bolivia have been in the spotlight since the Spanish newspaper El País published excerpts from the diary of late priest Alfonso Pedrajas a few weeks ago, in which he admitted to sexuall …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]