Notorious Malaga priest Father Fran sentenced to 52 years in prison for sexually assaulting sedated women

The provincial court of Malaga has sentenced Father Fran from Vélez-Málaga to 52 years in prison for three counts of continuous sexual abuse, one count of sexual abuse and four counts of disclosing and revealing secrets.

According to the ruling, the Diocese of Malaga will be subsidiarily liable for the financial compensation, which totals over 400,000 euros.

The court has concluded that the defendant sexually assaulted the four victims after administering an unknown substance that sedated them. He also recorded the assaults.

The events came to light in August 2023, after a woman with whom the priest had a romantic relationship at the time reported to the authorities that she had discovered a hard drive containing images of the assaults in the defendant's home.

According to the ruling, Father Fran committed the acts "during trips or events in which not only did he not conceal his status as a priest", but also took advantage of it.

Prior to contacting the authorities, the defendant's ex-girlfriend had reported him "to a priest who served alongside the defendant and to the vicar".

To establish the Church's subsidiary liability, the court reasoned that the defendant had been a deacon since 2016 and a priest since 2017, serving as parish priest in a church under the diocese's jurisdiction. It also noted that the events occurred in the residences assigned to him.

"This is not an isolated incident that could go unnoticed by those who have the obligation to oversee and select those who will carry out pastoral work," the court stated.

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