SPAIN
El Pais
JOSÉ ANTONIO HERNÁNDEZ / VALME CORTÉS Granada 27 NOV 2014
Three clergymen and a religion teacher suspected of sexually abusing at least one minor in Granada were spared preventive prison following their court arraignment on Wednesday.
Román Martínez, considered the leader of a ring that may have abused a number of youngsters over several years, was granted bail of €10,000, which the accused has already deposited.
The other three suspects were released after the charges were read out to them, and forbidden to go near the two former altar boys who have filed complaints against them.
The first alleged victim sent a letter to Pope Francis before the summer, detailing his ordeal. To his surprise, the pontiff personally phoned him to apologize in the name of the Catholic Church and assure him that he had ordered an internal investigation into the case.
A second individual, who was named in that letter as another possible victim, has since stepped forward to confirm the abuse and file a police complaint against Los Romanones, as the ring was widely referred to locally.
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