Trial Pits Dominican Republic’s Robust Media, Powerful Catholic Church

Dominican Today
February 26, 2016

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2016/2/26/58366/Trial-pits-Dominican-Republics-robust-media-powerful-Catholic-Church

Santo Domingo.- A hearing in a slander case set for Thursday next week could set a precedent in the Dominican Republic, pitting an ever stronger and outspoken media against the powerful Catholic Church.

Catholic priest Manuel Ruiz charged five prominent journalists with slander stemming from the sexual abuse scandals caused by the late bishop Jozef Wesolowski and priest Wojciech Waldemar Gil (Padre Alberto).

For more than five hours National District 8th Penal Chamber judge Teofilo Andujar heard the indictment from prosecutors and the defense claim of persecution, which cited three previous acquittals by other courts.

The journalists Marino Zapete, Altagracia Salazar, Diana Lora, Franklin Guerrero and Juan Tomas Dottin are charged with defamation and slander, but claim a violation of their right to free expression.

Some of the charges stem from the journalists’ alleged comments on the case against Gil for sexually abusing boys in the highland town of Juncalito, and a similar case against Wesolowski, the former envoy of the Vatican in the capital.

Gil was convicted and is serving an 8-year sentence in Poland, whereas Wesolowski was found dead of an apparent heart attack in Rome while awaiting trial.