Popular Costa Rican priest jailed for sex abuse
San Jose, Costa Rica -
A Costa Rican Catholic priest, who attracted hordes of followers as the host of a popular televised prayer session, was jailed for 30 years on Thursday for sexually abusing minors.
In a case that triggered hysteria and anger among some of his fans, Enrique Delgado was found guilty of abusing three teenagers at his home on various occasions in 2002 and ordered to pay them the equivalent of $17,000 in compensation.
The 50-year-old priest, whose prayer show was one of the most-watched TV programs in the country, has always denied the charges and said his accusers were trying to persecute the Church.
The Catholic Church worldwide has been hit by an endless stream of child abuse allegations over the past few years.
The U.S. Roman Catholic Church received 1,092 new claims of priest sexual abuse last year, and a church-commissioned study in 2004 found nearly 11,000 people in the United States accused priests of sex abuse between 1950 and 2002.
Pronouncing its verdict, the Costa Rican court accused the Catholic Church of trying to block the charges against Delgado, adored by many in the Central American nation as a spiritual guide.
Read the article at swissinfo.com Dated April 29, 2005
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A Costa Rican Catholic priest, who attracted hordes of followers as the host of a popular televised prayer session, was jailed for 30 years on Thursday for sexually abusing minors.
In a case that triggered hysteria and anger among some of his fans, Enrique Delgado was found guilty of abusing three teenagers at his home on various occasions in 2002 and ordered to pay them the equivalent of $17,000 in compensation.
The 50-year-old priest, whose prayer show was one of the most-watched TV programs in the country, has always denied the charges and said his accusers were trying to persecute the Church.
The Catholic Church worldwide has been hit by an endless stream of child abuse allegations over the past few years.
The U.S. Roman Catholic Church received 1,092 new claims of priest sexual abuse last year, and a church-commissioned study in 2004 found nearly 11,000 people in the United States accused priests of sex abuse between 1950 and 2002.
Pronouncing its verdict, the Costa Rican court accused the Catholic Church of trying to block the charges against Delgado, adored by many in the Central American nation as a spiritual guide.
Read the article at swissinfo.com Dated April 29, 2005
posted by God Almighty Himself at 10:49 AM
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