Rancagua, Chile, Jun 14, 2018 / 13:53 pm
Authorities raided Catholic church offices in Chile on Wednesday in an effort to obtain documents relating to the recent sex abuse scandal which has sparked the resignation of more than 30 bishops in the country.
During the surprise raid, police seized documents and files relating to the ongoing clergy abuse investigation from the Santiago Ecclesiastical Court and the bishop's office in Rancagua in central Chile on June 13. According to the Associated Press, there are 14 priests in the area who have been accused of child sexual abuse.
Jorge Abbott, the attorney general, said the goal of the raid was to seek "cooperation in the investigations we are carrying out with respect to abuses suffered by minors," and noted he was satisfied with the information they gathered from the search, according to AP.
The archbishop of Santiago, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, said church officials "gave the prosecutor all the requested documentation," saying the church is "available to cooperate with the civilian justice system in all that is required."