Closer to the Pope? Italian Bishop Knew of Sex Abuse and Did Nothing
An Italian court convicted a priest of molesting boys and sentenced him to 15 years in prison Thursday in a case closely watched because his bishop admitted knowing of the abuse allegations, but didn’t remove the priest.
The trial of Rev. Ruggero Conti, a politically connected priest, garnered international headlines last year when his bishop was called to testify about the molestation just as the clerical abuse scandal that erupted in Europe inched closer to the Vatican.
Conti was charged with sexual violence and other charges stemming from accusations by seven boys who frequented his parish on the outskirts of Rome.