The Mexico City attorney generalʼs office announced the arrest of a priest from the Archdiocese of Mexico accused of aggravated child sexual abuse against a 17-year-old girl and stated that a judge has already initiated criminal proceedings against him.
In a statement issued July 15, the attorney general’s office noted that the complaint was filed June 4 by the teenagerʼs mother, who had discovered “conversations with sexual content with a contact identified as ‘Winnie Poo’” on her daughterʼs mobile phone earlier this year.
According to the attorney general’s office, the teenager reportedly stated that the contact in question was a priest identified as Enrique “N,” who allegedly “forced her to engage in sexual acts on four occasions.”
Following the initial inquiries, a supervisory judge ordered the priest to be held in pretrial detention and set a two-month deadline for the conclusion of the supplementary investigation.
Archdiocese initiates canonical investigation
The Archdiocese of Mexico announced in a statement dated July 15 that archbishop Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes had ordered the initiation of an investigation “in accordance with canon law and the procedures established by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.”
The statement expressed its “support for the minor victim, her family, and anyone who may have been a victim of any form of abuse” and reiterated its commitment to the protection of minors and vulnerable persons, “as well as to providing respectful support to those who have suffered any form of violence.”
The archdiocese also noted that while the investigation is ongoing, it “will avoid making premature judgments” and “will refrain from revealing the priest’s identity while the competent authorities carry out the necessary proceedings.”
Finally, the archdiocese urged anyone aware of a possible case of sexual abuse committed by an ordained minister to report it either by phone or email and provided the contact information.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.