The Investigating Court number 3 of Teruel investigates a priest from the diocese of Teruel and Albarracín as the alleged perpetrator of a sexual assault after a complaint from a parishioner.

The religious, who has been separated from his pastoral responsibilities, gave a statement this Thursday in the aforementioned court and was later provisionally released, although with the imposition of precautionary measures.

The judge investigating the case has ordered the priest to appear in court on the 1st and 15th of each month, in addition to prohibiting him from approaching the victim.

As it has been known this Thursday, the denounced events took place about two months ago in the capital of Teruel and would have consisted of non-consensual touching. The priest is in his 60s while the complainant is around 30. The judicial investigation into the events continues and, foreseeably, will include the testimony of witnesses and other proceedings in the coming days.

The bishopric of Teruel and Albarracín has released a statement on Thursday in which it states that “at the beginning of June, the bishop of the diocese learned of the facts denounced through the woman herself, who is part of and collaborates in a of the parishes of the diocese. In addition to welcoming her and listening to her with the utmost respect and credibility, he made himself available to her, offering her any help she might need”.

It adds that, “after several meetings between the bishop with the woman on the one hand and with the priest on the other, he decided to withdraw him from his pastoral responsibilities; a decision that has already been made effective.” Likewise, “the cleric – at the proposal of the bishop – has begun a process of psychological and spiritual accompaniment in a specialized center for the assistance of priests.”

The letter ends by indicating that “the Diocese of Teruel and Albarracín hopes that the judicial process that will follow the complaint will serve to determine the priest’s responsibility; it also expresses its absolute availability to collaborate with the authorities in whatever is required.” On the other hand, it recalls that the diocese, “aware of the very serious damage caused by sexual abuse in the victims, whose consequences affect their families and sometimes drag on for a lifetime, has a Diocesan Service for the care of victims and the prevention of sexual abuse “Repara – Diocese of Teruel”.

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