Malaga Diocese to review historical abuse cases within the Church

In his first year at the helm of the Diocese of Malaga, he has dealt with the trial of Father Fran, who has been sentenced to 52 years in prison for drugging women in order to rape them and film the acts.

In May this year, the bishop called a press conference, days before the trial began, to apologise to the victims on behalf of the Church and to announce his commitment to providing financial compensation for the harm caused.

The Bishopric has already set aside the sums ordered by the judge, even though the ruling is not yet final. These amount to a total of 403,000 euros, with around 100,000 euros allocated to each of the four victims.

At that press conference, Satué reaffirmed "the Church's commitment to taking the utmost responsibility for any allegations of abuse". On behalf of the diocese, he promised safe spaces, "free from any form of violence or abuse".

He also highlighted the "firm determination to listen to, support and, as far as possible, provide redress for the victims".

Satué announced at the time the diocese's initiative to support victims and prevent sexual abuse by "expanding the remit" of the complaints office, which had been operating in recent years. He said he would be counting on the support and collaboration of the Repara project run by the Archdiocese of Madrid.

In response to questions from SUR, José Antonio Satué stated that this service will not only continue to channel abuse complaints within the Church, but also review "cases from the past".

The bishop stated that the complaints office will also review the response that the Church ha given at the time to assess whether they could offer something beyond that response.

Through this initiative, the bishop aims to explore whether victims of such cases of abuse in the Diocese of Malaga can receive more assistance. "On this matter, I would like us to offer the support of the Church to those who have suffered, even if their case is closed," Satué said.

Earlier this month, the bishop announced new appointments to key positions within the diocese, including those in charge of the service for victim care and abuse prevention.

Satué believes that this initiative will "raise awareness and offer effective support to victims who wish to receive it, in legal, psychological and spiritual terms". "In the longer term, I hope that, little by little, we will earn the victims' trust, because that is not something that is achieved overnight. I also hope that, within our own ranks, we will be better able to address this issue, this deeply painful reality of abuse, because there still is resistance. To be faithful to the Gospel, we must also be faithful to all those who suffer and, in particular, to the victims," José Antonio Satué told SUR.

It is clear that the bishop is determined to reach a turning point within the Church in Malaga.

Satué is no stranger to such matters. In 2022, the late Pope Francis appointed him as a judge in the canonical trial of a teacher at an Opus Dei school in Vizcaya, whom the Church had previously acquitted, in 2015, for the offence of repeated sexual abuse on a pupil.

The defendant was sentenced by the Spanish courts to two years' imprisonment, but he ultimately did not have to serve it. The appearance of this pupil in the documentary Amén led Pope Francis to order that a new canonical case be brought against this teacher.

Ultimately, the new canonical proceedings resulted only in his expulsion from Opus Dei.

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