Brazil archbishop investigated for sex abuse
Police in Brazil said on Monday they were investigating the archbishop of the city of Belem for alleged sexual abuse against underage seminary students.
Confirmation of the investigation came after four alleged victims of Archbishop Alberto Taveira Correa accused him of years of abuse in a sweeping investigative report aired Sunday night on Brazil’s biggest broadcaster, TV Globo.
The alleged victims, who spoke on condition of anonymity, accused the 70-year-old archbishop of abusing them from 2014 to 2018, when they were between 15 and 18 years old.
The former seminarians recounted a pattern of abuse by the archbishop of the northern city.
He would invite them to his home, bring them to his bedroom, ask them questions about sexuality and masturbation, then have them remove their clothes and begin touching and fondling them, sometimes while praying, they said.
‘I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it at first. I trusted him,’ one said.
‘But it became more and more frequent and aggressive.’
Correa denied wrongdoing in a video posted online.
‘I’ve been saddened to learn of the existence of an investigation against me, based on extremely serious accusations but without giving me the opportunity to respond,’ the archbishop said.
Police told AFP they could not give details on their investigation.
The Vatican has also opened an investigation into the accusations, according to TV Globo. The Holy See did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP.
Brazil is the world’s biggest Roman Catholic country, with around 120 million adherents.
But it has had relatively few of the sex abuse scandals that have devastated the Church’s image worldwide.
One notable exception was in May 2019, when Bishop Vilson Dias de Oliveira of the southern city of Limeira resigned amid allegations of embezzling Church funds and covering up sexual abuse by a priest.
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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