Spanish Court Clears Priest in Abuse Case Taken Up by Pope Francis

By Raphael Minder
New York Times
April 11, 2017

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/11/world/europe/spain-pope-francis-roman-martinez.html?_r=0

Pope Francis after celebrating Mass at the Vatican on Palm Sunday. He had urged David Ramírez Castillo to pursue his accusations against the Rev. Román Martínez. Photo by Alberto Pizzoli

Ending a sexual abuse case in which Pope Francis intervened three years ago, a Spanish court on Tuesday cleared a parish priest in Granada who had been accused of molesting an altar boy.

The court found no evidence that the Rev. Román Martínez had sexually abused one of his former altar boys more than a decade ago.

An investigation began after David Ramírez Castillo wrote to Pope Francis in 2014, detailing the sexual abuse that he said he and others suffered repeatedly when they were teenagers at the hands of a group of priests led by Father Martínez.

Pope Francis phoned Mr. Ramírez Castillo and urged him to pursue his complaints. The pope also ordered a church investigation into the case, demanding complete transparency.

In an 81-page ruling, the court said it had exonerated Father Martínez not only because of the lack of evidence against him but also because the testimony of Mr. Ramírez Castillo included elements that were “completely implausible.”

The court listed several events and details provided by Mr. Ramírez Castillo that could not be corroborated or proved false. For instance, there was no birthmark on Father Martínez’s genitals, contrary to what Mr. Ramírez Castillo had claimed.

The priest’s lawyer, Javier Muriel, said the verdict showed the case was based on lies. “It is easy to make an accusation of pedophilia, a crime that happens in privacy and in which the testimony of the victim is really the only proof,” Mr. Muriel said.

Mr. Ramírez Castillo and his lawyer did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. The case could still be appealed to the Spanish Supreme Court.

The archdiocese of Granada welcomed the ruling on Tuesday. In a statement, it noted “the suffering that this case has caused, within the diocese but in reality within the whole church.”