ITALY
The Local
A Sicilian priest and a soldier have been arrested for sexual abuse, which they carried out under the guise of spiritual ‘healing’, local media reported on Friday.
The pair, both based in Palermo, used the pretext of liberating victims from demonic possession in order to abuse women and children. The two were named by media as Salvatore Anello, 59, who belonged to the Capuchin order, and Salvatore Muratore, 52, who worked for the Italian army in Palermo.
The men reportedly convinced victims that they were possessed by evil spirits, before carrying out a ‘healing prayer’ in their homes which involved “repeatedly touching their genitals”, Palermo Today reported.
Anello was arrested at dawn on Friday morning and is being held in police custody, following a six-month long investigation into Muratore, who was a member of a local prayer group, and claimed to be able to perform exorcism.
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