- Title: CHILE-PRIEST/ABUSE Irish-born priest found guilty of child sex abuse in Chile
- Date: 15th October 2014
- Summary: SANTIAGO, CHILE (OCTOBER 15, 2014) (REUTERS) GENERAL OF CENTRE OF JUSTICE VARIOUS OF ARRIVAL OF PRIEST JOHN O'REILLY TO CENTRE OF JUSTICE GENERAL OF COURTHOUSE INTERIOR VARIOUS OF O'REILLY IN COURTHOUSE LOOKING AT PHOTOGRAPH WHILE SEATED VARIOUS OF JUDGE, COURT OFFICIALS, LAWYERS AND O'REILLY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JUDGE, MARIA TERESA BARRIENTOS, SAYING: "As a result of the testimony, this court, with the agreement of a majority of its members, has convicted John Joseph O'Reilly as author of the crime of repeated sexual abuse." GENERAL VIEW INSIDE COURTROOM (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PROSECUTING LAWYER, JOSE IGNACIO ESCOBAR, SAYING: "(This ruling) establishes a clear conviction for repeated crimes against at least one of the children, in addition to establishing that acts of transgression were committed. We are very calm, we believe that a job was taken care of that required much work, and, like I said before, we are going to work on the basis of the verdict and the sentence that will be given soon." VARIOUS OF INTERIOR OF COURTROOM WITH POLICE GUARDS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DEFENCE LAWYER, LUIS HERMOSILLA, SAYING: "He took the verdict peacefully, and with respect for the the courts. He remains confident in justice system. He has trust (in the courts). But at the same time, during the hearing, I of course had to explain this complex series, that were technical in nature, that emerged during the hearing. He is calm and tired." PEOPLE OUTSIDE COURTHOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DISTRICT ATTORNEY, LORENA PARRA, SAYING: "The court has listened to the girls and has established the truth. And it is not something to be happy about because it involves very unfortunate situations that have very much affected one family, but yes, one can be satisfied about the work that has been carried out." EXTERIOR OF CENTRE OF JUSTICE
- Embargoed: 30th October 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Chile
- Country: Chile
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAAB24WTEKJ8II63HF15ZKE7MB9
- Story Text: An Irish-born Chilean priest was found guilty on Wednesday (October 15) of sexually abusing a child in his care at a religious school located in Santiago.
The court found that John O'Reilly, who moved to Chile from Ireland in 1985, had abused the pre-teen girl behind closed doors at the private Colegio Cumbres in the affluent neighbourhood of Las Condes between 2007 and 2009.
"As a result of the testimony, this court, with the agreement of a majority of its members, has convicted John Joseph O'Reilly as author of the crime of repeated sexual abuse," the Judge Maria Teresa Barrientos, read to the court.
The family of two sisters accused the priest of repeatedly sexually abusing the girls. O'Reilly was absolved in the case of one of the sisters.
"(This ruling) establishes a clear conviction for repeated crimes against at least one of the children, in addition to establishing that acts of transgression were committed. We are very calm, we believe that a job was taken care of that required much work, and, like I said before, we are going to work on the basis of the verdict and the sentence that will be given soon," said prosecuting lawyer, Jose Ignacio Escobar.
O'Reilly, who denied the charges, will be sentenced next month. Prosecutors have requested that he be sent to prison for 10 years.
Luis Hermosilla, O'Reilly's lawyer, said his client took was in a state of calm.
"He took the verdict peacefully, and with respect for the the courts. He remains confident in justice system. He has trust (in the courts). But at the same time, during the hearing, I of course had to explain this complex series, that were technical in nature, that emerged during the hearing. He is calm and tired," said Hermosilla.
District Attorney Lorena Parra said that while the situation had been very difficult for the family involved, she was content with the work of the courts.
"The court has listened to the girls and has established the truth. And it is not something to be happy about because it involves very unfortunate situations that have very much affected one family, but yes, one can be satisfied about the work that has been carried out," said Parra.
The school where the abuse took place is part of the network of the Legionaries of Christ, a conservative religious order whose founder was revealed to be a fraud and pedophile who had fathered several children.
The Catholic Church retains a strong influence in conservative Chile, but cases like this of abuse and other crimes by priests have shaken confidence in recent years.
In 2011, powerful priest Fernando Karadima was found guilty by the Vatican of abusing teenage boys over many years. The criminal case against him collapsed and the church ordered him to live a life of prayer and banned him from celebrating public mass.
Another priest is under investigation for the forced adoption of babies after telling single mothers their infants had died.
Argentine-born Pope Francis has vowed zero tolerance of clerics who abuse minors, after scandals in a number of countries over many years.
The authority of the church in O'Reilly's native Ireland, in particular, has been rocked by investigations into past clerical sex abuse and state-abetted cover-ups at Catholic-run schools and institutions, labelled places of fear and neglect in a 2009 official report.
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