The Provincial Court of Malaga has imposed a total sentence of 52 years in prison on a priest accused of sexually assaulting four women with whom he had a friendship, after sedating them to unconsciousness and recording them. The judicial resolution also stipulates that he must compensate each of the four victims with different financial amounts.
In the ruling, which Europa Press has had access to, the Court considers it proven, in line with the Public Prosecutor's Office and the private prosecutions representing the affected parties, that in the context of religious activities linked to various institutions, the accused formed friendships with the four women.
According to the Court, "taking advantage of these situations of friendship" with the victims, the accused administered an unidentified substance that caused intense drowsiness and loss of consciousness, a circumstance that the accused took advantage of to "satisfy his sexual desires, and without the victim's consent being recorded at any time."
The ruling convicts him of three continuing offenses of sexual abuse with penetration, appreciating the aggravating factor of abuse of trust, and sets 12 years in prison for each of them, in addition to the prohibition of approaching these victims for 13 years in each case.
Likewise, he is convicted of a fourth continuing offense of sexual abuse, also with the aggravating factor of abuse of trust, relating to another victim, for which he is sentenced to four years in prison and a restraining order for five years.
Similarly, the court considers him responsible for four continuing offenses of discovery and revelation of secrets, imposing three years in prison for each. For these acts, and in relation to the previous convictions, a supervised release period of seven years is also established, which will be served once the prison sentence is completed.
In terms of civil liability, the convicted person must compensate the victims with the amounts of 94,442 euros, 101,191 euros, 106,594 euros, and 100,902 euros, totaling 704,953 euros. Subsidiarily, the Diocese of Malaga will be liable for these amounts, according to the ruling, which is not yet final.
((TO BE EXPANDED))