Father Wojciech Gil (Padre Alberto) the 36-year old priest accused of child sexual abuse in his former parish of Juncalito, Santiago was arrested in his native Poland on Monday, 17 February. The case was originally exposed by Dominican TV investigative reporters. The priest is known to be a close friend of former papal nuncio Josef Wesolowski, removed by the Vatican after investigative TV reporters were also on his trail in the Dominican Republic. Also from Poland, Wesolowski has not been available for comment to the press since he left the country last year.
Wojciech Gil has been under investigation by Polish prosecutors since September, when they traveled to the Dominican Republic to discuss the case with local prosecutors.
Gil had returned to his hometown in Poland after the TV report aired in the Dominican Republic.
“We received documents from the Dominican Republic that, among other things, will allow us to press charges,” Przemyslaw Nowak, spokesman for the District Public Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw told reporters.
The priest had denied any wrongdoing in a televised interview in October, suggesting he had been set up by local drug gangs.
Listin Diario reports that community representatives in Juncalito expressed their relief at the fact that charges were being pressed, but said they hoped that the Dominican authorities would request Wojciech Gil’s extradition so he can be tried here.
In Juncalito, three parents presented formal charges against the priest, but the authorities suspect that at least 15 minors were sexually abused.
Attorney General Francisco Dominguez Brito said he trusted the priest would receive the maximum sentence in Poland.
www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2014/2/17/311078/Alegria-en-Juncalito-por-arresto-del-padre-Alberto-Gil-en-Polonia-y
www.warsawvoice.pl/WVpage/pages/article.php/27360/news
www.interaksyon.com/article/71669/dominican-republic-seeks-arrest-of-fugitive-polish-pedophile-priest
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26232366
VIDEO: Padres acusaron sacerdote de pedofilia reaccionan ante su apresamiento
www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2014/02/18/i488531_fiscala-polaca-presenta-cuatro-cargos-por-pederastia-contra-sacerdote.html