Bishop Nicanor Pena rushed home from a trip to the United States to address the newest scandal involving the girls’ orphanage La Ciudad de los Ninos San Francisco Javier, which operates under the World Solidarity Missions and the Roman Catholic Church Diocese of La Altagracia.
The scandal revolves around 13 minors who were allegedly raped while in the orphanage’s care. In 2002, similar accusations came forth regarding nine other children. El Caribe newspaper reports that, despite the children having identified the offenders, none of them has been investigated. The newspaper carries a statement made by the district attorney, who commented: “If we arrest all those mentioned, we would have to bring in half of Yuma,” referring to the municipality in the province of La Altagracia.
One of the differences between the 2002 case and that which has surfaced most recently is that the first time around the victims did not name their assailants.
El Caribe reports that the silence surrounding the case is due to the orphanage being under the Church. One of the lawyers defending one of those accused categorically refused to speak to an El Caribe reporter on the grounds that the case is a very delicate one.
The scandal came out into the open after Deacon Rigoberto de Jesus Padial, the orphanage’s founder, lodged a complaint with the police on 1 March 2004. Bishop Nicanor Pena has announced a press conference for tomorrow.