El Salvador continues crackdown on pedophile priests

EL SALVADOR
Latin Correspondent

by Eana Maniebo | 1st December 2015

El Salvador’s Roman Catholic Church revealed that it suspended another priest for sexual abuse after a preliminary investigation.

The Archbishop of San Salvador Jose Luis Escobar announced on Sunday that Juan Francisco Galvez, a parish priest in the town of Rosario de Mora, was relieved of ecclesiastical duties after the conclusion of a preliminary investigation carried out in October 2015. Escobar said that Galvez victimized several people, but declined to give details on the victims’ identities.

Galvez denied the charges.

“I invite all those who have experienced sexual abuse from priests to come forward and directly approach me, Bishop Gregorio Chavez, or Monsignor Rafael Urrutia,” Escobar said.

He also reiterated the Catholic church’s zero tolerance towards sexual abuse.

Galvez’ case comes less than a week after the announcement of a high-profile priest’s suspension on charges of rape.

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