Bishop of Malaga apologises on behalf of the Church for priest who sexually abused four women

The Bishop of Malaga, José Antonio Satué, has called a press conference 72 hours before the start of the trial against the priest from Vélez-Málaga accused of sexually abusing four women over more than a decade.

With the meeting, José Antonio Satué seeks to "ask for forgiveness on behalf of the Church."

Satué acknowledged that this scandal has caused "profound suffering to the women and their families" as well as to "parishes and parishioners".

The bishop believes the Diocese has no subsidiary civil liability. Regardless, should the accused be found guilty, Satué announced his willingness to contribute financially to compensate the victims. "The Diocese is committed to providing reparations to victims of abuse, even if the courts do not order it," he stated.

Father Fran faces 72 years in prison and 1.2 million euros in compensation for allegedly supplying drugs to the victims and recording them without their permission.

According to the prosecutor, the priest followed the same strategy for years. He took advantage of the trust the victims had in him to drug and assault them.

The events came to light in August 2023, when the priest's then-partner discovered audiovisual material on a hard drive and reported it to the National Police.

Father Fran is appearing before the court on Monday, 25 May. The hearing is initially expected to last until 29 May.