Chile: Canonical investigation opened against the famous priest Felipe Berríos for alleged abuse of a minor

The Jesus company in Chili announced this Tuesday in a statement a canonical investigation against the famous priest Felipe Berríos, after a complaint for alleged “acts of sexual connotation” towards a minor.

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The congregation explained that Berríos was immediately suspended from his duties until the investigation is concluded, which was opened after last Thursday a woman filed an accusation against the religious.

“All the necessary means will be available so that this investigation is carried out with the greatest rigor and speed, in order to clarify the facts denounced and the possible responsibilities,” the statement explained.

Berríos, 65, was a well-known Jesuit priest, as well as an activist, writer, columnist and founder of some NGOs such as “Techo”, a Latin American network to help the homeless.

“I will do everything necessary to know and clarify the origins of this complaint and I have made myself, from now on, available to the Company to clarify the facts as quickly as possible,” the priest told local media.

Chile is one of the Latin American countries most affected by allegations of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church and has been adding new cases for more than a decade since the first major scandal of former priest Fernando Karadima came to light.

The Karadima case, denounced for repeated sexual abuse of minors, shook the foundations of one of the most powerful institutions in the country and, in the words of Pope Francis, uncovered “a culture of abuse and cover-up” within the Church.

According to the latest figures published by the Prosecutor’s Office, in 2021 there were still 65 judicial investigations open against 116 people related to the Catholic Church, involving 220 victims, half of whom were minors at the time of the events.

Source: Elcomercio

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