Fr Mark Montebello Says He Was No Intermediary in Fr Charles Fenech Case

Malta Independent
November 10, 2014

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-11-10/local-news/Fr-Mark-Montebello-says-he-was-no-intermediary-in-Fr-Charles-Fenech-case-6736125316


Dominican priest Fr Mark Montebello said that contrary to what The Sunday Times reported yesterday, he did not serve as an intermediary to offer money to one of the victims allegedly sexually abused by Fr Charles Fenech.

Fr Montebello wrote to the newspaper as a right of reply following yesterday's report, saying that he had been misunderstood.

A copy of the letter was sent to other media, including The Malta Independent. It is being reproduced below.

"Dear Sir, there must have been some misunderstanding with regard to the report by Matthew Xuereb in today's Sunday Times on the cash offered to silence the alleged victim of Fr. Charles Fenech. May I make it clear that I had not been in any way an intermediary in the matter. What happened was that, while speaking with Edgar Bonnici Cachia on the phone about some other matter, I mentioned in passing that it came to my attention that money had been offered to the alleged victim and that it had been refused. Mr Bonnici Cachia told me that he was aware of such cases and that neither he nor the alleged victim were for sale. I vouch that I had not passed on to him or to someone else any message on behalf of anyone. May I add that I consider such money offering to be unethical and immoral, and that I would never accept to be part of such dealings."

In October, The Malta Independent broke the story that the offer had been made by a member of the Dominican Order.

The case regarding sexual abuse on vulnerable women by the Dominican priest has been before the Curia Response Team for at least eight years.

The case before the church tribunal is separate to the court case instituted by the police against Fr Fenech.

Fr Fenech was immediately stopped from administering his duties as a priest when the sex abuse allegations came to light.

Fr Fenech has also been removed from the post of director of the Kerygma Movement.

The Dominican Province had warned Father Fenech several times in the past and took several steps against him. There were several times when accusations were levelled against him and later withdrawn.

The Malta Independent also published parts of a sworn affidavit by one of the alleged victims. In her affidavit, she gave a chronological account of the various times she and Fr Charles Fenech were involved sexually.

She said that after her marriage was annulled, she threw a party to which Fr Charles Fenech was invited. It was here that he tried to kiss her for the first time.

The relationship developed into a roller-coaster of events, with the two at times close to each other and at other times staying apart.

She submitted a complaint to the Curia's Response Team in 2006 and a decision on her case has not yet been taken, eight years later.