Orán, Argentina, Feb 22, 2022 / 14:34 pm
Bishop Gustavo Oscar Zanchetta, the Bishop Emeritus of Orán, denied Monday all charges of alleged sexual abuse of two former seminarians, during the first hearing of his civil trial.
According to a statement from the Salta provincial judiciary, Bishop Zanchetta, 57, testified Feb. 21 before the Second Chamber of the Orán Trial Court "denying the accusations of sexual abuse", and saying that "relations with the seminarians were good", and going on to explain his functions as head of the diocese.
Bishop Zanchetta is charged with the crime of aggravated continued simple sexual abuse committed by a recognized minister of religion to the detriment of two victims, identified by the acronyms “G.G.F.L. and C.M.”, the Salta judiciary stated. After Bishop Zanchetta's statement in the morning, the victims were heard. This was done without the presence of the accused, who was subsequently informed.
The alleged victims G.F.L.G. and M.C. "ratified before the Court their statements made in the investigative stage, one of them saying that the priest had made 'amorous proposals' and required 'massages,'" the judiciary stated.