Washington, March 04: A court in Rome has sentenced a former Catholic priest to 15 years in prison for child abuse amid a wave of pedophilia cases by clergymen across Europe and the U.S.
Ruggero Conti, a former parish priest at Selva Candida on the outskirts of the Italian capital, was found guilty of abusing seven children between 1998 and 2008 when he was arrested.
Prosecutors had initially sought 18 years in prison for Conti on charges of sex acts against minors, sexual violence and incitement to prostitution of a minor.
The case has attracted wide media attention in Italy as relatively few priestly abuse scandals have surfaced in the predominantly Catholic country, compared to hundreds that have occurred in northern Europe and the United States.
A lawyer for the victims, Fabrizio Gallo, told reporters he would also seek “a just compensation” from Vatican authorities after the court ordered Conti to pay around 200,000 Euros (279,000 dollars) in damages.
Gallo says the trial showed that the accusations were true and that the lives of many people have been destroyed forever. He expressed hope the Church will find a solution and compensate victims who have been abandoned. “No-one offered them a hand to help them or say sorry,” he added.
During the trial, the bishop in charge of the parish, Gino Reali, admitted he had ignored initial rumors about Conti. However, he later launched an investigation after two victims came forward.
Conti’s lawyer says his client would appeal.
——–Agencies