The Catholic Church in Colombia has suspended fifteen priests who have been the subject of a sexual assault complaint, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Villavicencio (center) said on Friday. "Fifteen priests of the archdiocese have been suspended as a protective measure (...) because they are the subject of a preliminary investigation , " said Carlos Villabon.
The complaint dates from February 14 and was filed by a Colombian man, an adult, according to the press release from the Catholic institution. This man, whose identity has not been communicated, denounced "acts contrary to sexual morality" on the part of the religious. These facts "have been brought to the attention of the prosecution (...) , and we have made them fully available to collaborate in the investigation," the press release continued.
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The Colombian Church claims to have acted with its priests in accordance with the "broad outlines drawn by Pope Francis (...) (advocating) zero tolerance concerning sexual assaults by members of the clergy" . A country with a Catholic majority, Colombia is preparing to celebrate a Holy Week like no other in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has forced the authorities to set up compulsory confinement. There were currently 1,161 cases of coronavirus in this South American country, including 19 deaths.
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