SANTIAGO – The Vatican dismissed a Chilean deacon, accused of sexually abusing minors in the town of Las Cabras in central Chile, the archdiocese of the city of Rancagua said Friday.
Luis Rubio was arrested for improper conduct and sexual abuse of minors when he was in charge of a Las Cabras school in 2013.
A year later, the archdiocese of Rancagua dismissed him from his duties while an investigation was underway.
The results of the investigation were sent to the Vatican, where four years later its expulsion was recommended.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a Vatican institution that investigates cases of pedophilia of religious, “communicated that the request for remission of their obligations requested by the deacon Luis Alberto Rubio González was imposed.”
Rubio’s case surfaced last May, when Channel 13 revealed an alleged network of sexual abuse composed of priests and religious self-proclaimed “The Family”, after denouncing a faithful.
He was interviewed and admitted having “made a mistake, but not a crime”.
In total, 14 priests and religious of Rancagua were suspended while the ecclesiastical authorities investigate the case of the “Family”. The Rancagua Attorney’s Office has also opened an investigation into this scandal involving the Chilean Church.
Pope Francis accepted in May the resignation of five Chilean bishops, amid denunciations of cover-up of dozens of cases of pedophilia committed by religious.
After an investigation, Francisco met the Chilean bishops and harshly criticized the group for the treatment given to the denunciations.
Meanwhile last week, prominent priest Oscar Munoz was arrested over allegations of sexual abuse and rape of at least seven children.
