A court in Antioquia, Colombia, has convicted a Catholic priest of sexually abusing a child, reigniting accusations that Church officials may have concealed the crime for years. The Diocese of Caldas, a municipality near Medellín, has now issued a public response to allegations that it covered up information about the case.
The priest, identified as Luis Ernesto Valencia López, was found guilty by the First Criminal Court of Caldas of committing sexual acts with a minor under 14 years old. The abuse reportedly occurred back in 2008, though the victim did not file a formal complaint until several years later.
Judge Pastor Camilo Perafán Cardona initially handed down a 12-year prison sentence. In an unusual development, however, that sentence was later reduced substantially to just over five years behind bars.
Perhaps most striking is that Valencia remained an active clergyman for years despite the abuse allegations, having celebrated his anniversary as a priest within the Diocese of Caldas only months before his conviction. That timeline has raised pointed questions about whether Church leaders were aware of the accusations and failed to remove him from his post.
The Diocese’s statement came amid mounting public scrutiny over its handling of the case, though full details of its defense were not immediately available.
To read the Diocese of Caldas’s complete response and learn more about the case, check out the original article on El Tiempo.
Source: Diócesis de Caldas, Antioquia, responde a señalamientos de presunto encubrimiento a sacerdote condenado por abuso (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: Popkins, B. F. — Photographer.