P. Jozef Van Den Ouweland

“Padre Jef.” From Belgium. According to some reports, Van Den Ouweland arrived in South America in 1984 and in Ichuña in 1990. He was head of a school in Ichuña, Moquegua in May 2010 when media outlets in Belgium reported that he had allegedly raped at least three children in the 1990s in Belgium. The Belgian newspaper De Morgen reported that in 2005, a lay-led commission set up by the Belgian church to investigate abuse allegations had written to Puno bishop Jorge Carrión to warn him that Van Den Ouweland was believed to be a child rapist. The lay commissioners were seeking Carrión’s “guarantee” that the bishop was protecting the children in Padre Jef’s school. The Belgian commission reportedly received no response. Van Den Ouweland remained active in the Puno diocese until May 2010, when his alleged crimes were revealed in Belgium. De Morgen further reported that the diocese of Antwerp, Belgium had paid one of Van Den Ouweland’s alleged victims €106,000 in exchange for his silence. (The Bishop of Antwerp later told the victim, in regards to the payment, “I hope you know how to be grateful.”)

On May 17, 2010, in the wake of Belgian media coverage, Van Den Ouweland left Peru for Belgium, likely summoned by the Antwerp bishop. 

Van Den Ouweland died March 21, 2025. According to his obituary published in Peru, “His legacy extends beyond the religious sphere; he was a true driving force for development and education…. . Thanks to his efforts, hundreds of young people gained access to opportunities…. . ” There was no mention of the allegations or outcome of the case. Van Den Ouweland had apparently returned at some point to Peru, where his funeral and burial took place.