Chile to Investigate 120 Schools in Light of Sex Abuse Reports

CHILE
I Love Chile

Written by Rachel Stevenson on July 30, 2012.

SANTIAGO — The Chilean Public Prosecution Office will investigate 120 schools in Santiago after a series of sex abuse allegations concerning minors were uncovered.

It has been revealed that during the first half of 2012, sexual crimes against children under 14 years have increased by 22 percent.

Although Chile is a conservative country strongly influenced by the Catholic Church, the image of the institution has been damaged in recent years due to a series of scandals involving priests sexually abusing minors.

In 2010 it was confirmed that one of the most respected priests, Fernando Karadima, sexually abused four teenage boys.

Just last week it was reported that John O’Reilly, a priest working at Colegio Cumbres in Santiago, has been accused of sexually abusing a four-year-old child. The investigation is to be carried out by Public Prosecutor Ignacio Pinto.

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