“Chile priest Rogel Pinuer faces jail in Temuco sex case” & related article

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BBC News Latin America & Caribbean

21 August 2013

Orlando Rogel Pinuer arrives at court

A Chilean priest has been convicted of sexually abusing four children who were under his care at a young people’s home in the city of Temuco.

The court heard how Orlando Rogel Pinuer, 53, gave teenagers alcohol and money in exchange for sexual acts.

Prosecutor Omar Merida said there was evidence Rogel had abused other youths for years. He accused the Catholic Church of failing to co-operate.

The priest faces 15 years in prison, and will be sentenced on Sunday.

He carried out the abuse while acting as administrator of the San Juan Bosco young people’s home in Temuco between 2006 and 2011.

His victims were aged between 14 and 16 at the time.

The prosecutor asked for a 15-year sentence because he said the abuse had been going on for many years.

“The evidence we presented showed that these same acts had been occurring for at least the last 20 years,” said Mr Merida.

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Chilean Priest Convicted For Sexually Abusing Boys

7even minutes (7evenminutes.com)

21 August 2013

A former Chilean priest was convicted in four sexual abuse cases on Tuesday and could face up to 15 years in prison.

The former priest was the administrator for the Hogar de Menores (Young Persons Home) San Juan Bosco and priest at the Immaculate Conception Parish of Cunco in Temuco, Chile about 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of Santiago from 2004 to 2011.

The crimes were carried out between the years 2006 and 2011, though the public prosecutor of Temuco, Omar Merida, said there was evidence the 53-year-old priest had been abusing youngsters for years before.

“The evidence we presented showed that these same acts had been occurring for at least the last 20 years,” Merida said.

However, Rogel’s lawyer, Marcel Contreras, said his client had no history of previous charges.

According to local reports referencing the court ruling, the priest used his position of authority over his young victims and even gave them alcohol and spending money to encourage them to perform sexual acts on him.

All the victims were boarding school students between the ages of 14 and 16-years-old.

Are residents said they were shocked by the case.

The prosecuting attorney’s office has sought a sentence of 15 years. The court will hand down the sentencing during a hearing scheduled for Sunday.

Two additional charges brought against the former parish priest, Orlando Rogel Pinuer, were dropped for lack of evidence.

2 Responses to “Chile priest Rogel Pinuer faces jail in Temuco sex case” & related article

  1. Tanya says:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-19892158

    Attached is BBC report outlining the resignation of the Roman Bishop of Iquique, Chile. The bishop alleges the other party was not a minor when the incident(s) were said to have occurred.

    Even if the other party were not a minor it points to an radically abusive power relationship.

    It has been 10 months since the resignation. I am not aware of an developments regarding the matter.

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