VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -A Vatican court on Wednesday cleared two priests charged in connection with alleged sexual abuse in a youth seminary in the Vatican between 2006 and 2012.
By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -A Vatican court on Wednesday cleared two priests charged in connection with alleged sexual abuse in a youth seminary in the Vatican between 2006 and 2012. Father Gabriele Martinelli, now 29, was accused of having forced a person identified only as L.G. to have sex, while they were altar boys and mostly when they were both minors. L.G. is seven months younger than Martinelli. The court concluded that there had been sexual activity between the two boys but there was not enough proof that L.G. was forced, a statement said. Martinelli, for whom the prosecution had sought a six-year custodial sentence, later went on to become a priest. The court statement said there were significant contradictions in L.G. s testimony. The trial, which began a year ago, was the first in the Vatican concerning sexual abuse that allegedly occurred on Vatican territory. The prosecution had sought a four-year sentence for Father Enrico Radice, 72, who was rector at the
A Vatican court on Wednesday cleared two priests charged in connection with alleged sexual abuse in a youth seminary in the Vatican between 2006 and 2012.
(RNS) The school’s former rector and a former student were acquitted, but behavior that came to light during the trial prompted Pope Francis to move the seminary out of the Vatican.