The Diocese of Málaga could face multimillion-euro compensation in the case of alleged sexual abuse committed by Father Fran, the Vélez-Málaga priest.
This priest has remained in custody since September 2023 for allegedly sexually abusing four women for more than a decade. He allegedly drugged them to suppress their will, filming them, and taking photos of without their consent.
The Public Prosecutor has recommended a 72-year prison sentence for the former parish priest and €300,000 in compensation for each of the four victims of the alleged crimes of sexual abuse.
Regarding compensation, the Public Prosecutor’s Office states considers that the Bishopric of Málaga should be held liable, as a subsidiary civil party, in accordance with the provisions of Article 120, paragraph three of the Criminal Law Code.
According to the prosecutor, the women “were not aware at any time during the events,” continuing their relationship of friendship and trust with the accused over the years, until finally, at Christmas 2022, the accused’s then-partner accidentally found an external hard drive in the parish home where they lived in Melilla , which she watch, think that films or television series were recorded on the discs. Instead, she found recordings and sexual photos of all the alleged victims.
It was at that moment that Father Fran’s then-girlfriend, “aware of the seriousness of the events she had discovered, committed by her former partner” attempted to bring them to the attention of the religious authorities in Melilla and Málaga, either in person or through emails. These ecclesiastic authorities refused to hear her out and collaborate with the police, Neither did they take any action other than to transfer the accused to the parishes of El Burgo and Yunquera.
Despite four warnings about his alleged activities, the Diocese kept Father Fran at those parish assignments.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office points to a common modus operandi, consisting of slipping them an unknown substance (most likely liquid ecstasy or ‘joy’), which made them drowsy and oblivious to anything that might happen to them.
Whilst they were ‘out of it’ he reportedly carried out “acts of a sexual nature, which he filmed and photographed without the consent of the alleged victims.”
We won’t go into what he did to them but suffice to say that it didn’t belong in a Catholic Church morning service.
All this reportedly took place in the city of Malaga, Vélez-Málaga, Valdepeñas (Ciudad Real), and Ardales at different times between 2004 and 2023.
The hearing will be held at the Málaga Provincial Court on a date yet to be set. For his part, the parish priest acknowledged that, “they consumed a lot of alcohol, but denied accusations of sexual abuse of or drugging the women.”
(News: Vélez-Málaga, Axarquia, Costa del Sol)
Keywords: Priest, Sexual Abuse, Drugged Women, Bishopric of Málaga, Public Prosecutor
news, andalucia, malaga, costa del sol, axarquia, velez-malaga, priest, sexual abuse, drugged women, bishopric of málaga, public prosecutor