"Notwithstanding that these acts were denounced within the SCV, the then-superiors did not adopt corrective measures and, on the contrary, they concealed them, thereby encouraging the practice of new and greater abuses, under a mantle of impunity."
Several members of the community were designated to personally serve Figari, whose behavior was characterized by "giving orders that could not be questioned, the use of vulgar and profane language," and "control of all the activities within the institution and the personal lives of its members." Figari's arbitrary use of authority led to "an organizational culture based on the cult of personality."
The report suggested that some individuals might have been reduced to "servitude" at the hands of Figari, who denied them formation while they rendered unpaid services to him – in some cases, as long as 20 years.
Those in leadership within the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae were in "complicit silence" about Figari's behavior, the report found. "They did not answer to the delicate task of forming young people who had placed their confidence and trust in the SCV, and who were finally frustrated in their expectations of a full life in the Christian faith."
The ethics commission reported that vocational discernment was not accomplished through "individual freedom." In some cases, those who demonstrated they did not have that vocation "were conditioned to effect a consecration which they really did not desire."
Those who discerned out of the community were hindered from doing so, and were treated as if they were "treasonous," the report suggested: "In many cases, this has led to grave psychological effects and even the rejection of the Catholic faith, even after being incorporated into live outside the community, obliging them to suffer unmerited spiritual conflicts."
Furthermore, the commission reported a culture in which transparency was impeded, finances were not always accounted for, and members were treated differently based on their socio-economic class and race: "those in leadership had an evident preference for youth who were white and/or came from an affluent socio-economic class."
Members of the community have suffered physical, psychological, spiritual, and moral damage, the ethics commission reported.
It concluded by recommending several measures be taken, including a public repudiation of Figari's conduct; the greatest possible sanctions on Figari; care and compensation for the victims; and barring anyone from representing the organization who held any position in the Sodalitium during the years that the abuses were permitted.
In addition to Peru, the community operates in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, the United States, and Italy.