Scicluna meets with alleged victims of abuse by Marist Brothers

Santiago, Chile, Feb 28, 2018 / 01:08 pm (CNA).- A Vatican investigator has met with some alleged victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by Marist Brothers in Chile.

Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the pope’s envoy to Chile who is investigating accusations of negligence against Bishop Juan Barros in other abuse cases, met with alleged victims of abuse by Marist Brothers on Feb. 27, apparently broadening the scope of his mandate in the country.

In August 2017, the Marist Brothers reported that a member of the congregation had admitted to abusing 14 boys in Chile.

Earlier this year, the Marist Brother began a canonical investigation of allegations of sexual abuse in Chile by some of its members.

In a Feb. 26 press release, the congregation invited “those who want to testify or who have information that may contribute to the development of this inquiry” to contact the canonical investigator, Fr. David Albornoz Pavisic.

Pavisic is a professor of canon law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in Santiago. In January, he was appointed to lead the canonical investigation of the Marist Brothers accused of abuse at the Alonso de Ercilla Institute and the  Marcelino Champagnat School, located in Santiago.

One of the victims from the Marist case was Isaac Givovich who told the local press that “We are  Catholics and are thankful today for [Scicluna’s] gesture toward us.”

“We believe this is one more step for justice to be done, what’s left for us is to hope that there will be justice and reparation so there can be reconciliation,” he said.

Jaime Concha, who also attended the meeting, said that “this is a day to be happy because new avenues to justice and truth are opening up, I leave happy and satisfied because our struggle represents many others and is bearing fruits of truth and justice.”

This article was originally published by our Spanish-language partner, ACI Prensa. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.