SANTIAGO, CHILE
Reuters
October 24, 2018
By Natalia A. Ramos Miranda
Santiago’s Archbishop and three men who allege they were sexually abused by Chilean priest Fernando Karadima must appear at a mediation hearing called by Chile’s Court of Appeal.
In a statement posted on its website on Wednesday, the court instructed the two parties to meet with the possibility of an agreement between them. The hearing has been set for Nov. 20.
Claimants James Hamilton, Jose Andres Murillo and Juan Carlos Cruz filed an appeal for “moral damages” against the Church earlier this year, accusing it of covering up abuse crimes. The case was previously rejected by a lower court for lack of evidence.
They were invited to Rome earlier this year to tell the Pope about their alleged abuse. They have accused Karadima, who worked for the Santiago Archbishopric as a parish priest in a Santiago suburb, of abusing them and the Church of covering up that abuse.
A decision in favor of the men could pave the way for a flood of civil lawsuits seeking monetary damages from Chile’s Roman Catholic Church.
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