At Vatican abuse trial, priests cast doubt on testimony of witness

Vatican Clergy Abuse Trial

Title: At Vatican abuse trial, priests cast doubt on testimony of witness

Author: Junno Arocho Esteves via CNS

Publisher: NCROnline

Date: 15APR2021

VATICAN CITY — Three priests associated with a minor seminary located in the Vatican testified that they neither witnessed nor were informed of suspected cases of sexual abuse occurring at the school.Taking the stand at the Vatican City State criminal court April 14, the three priests affiliated with the St. Pius X Pre-Seminary also cast doubt on the testimony of Kamil Jarzembowski, a former student who said he witnessed “dozens” of instances of abuse at the minor seminary.

Jarzembowski, the first former student to speak publicly of abuse at the seminary, told the court March 26 he saw Fr. Gabriele Martinelli, who at the time was a student at the seminary, enter the dormitory room he shared with L.G., the student Martinelli is accused of abusing.

The abuse was said to have occurred between 2007 and 2012. Although both were under the age of 18 when the abuse was said to have begun, the court accused the priest of continuing to abuse the younger student when Martinelli, not yet a priest, was already 20.