Portugal: Azores priest convicted of attempted sexual abuse of a 15-year-old girl in his care
Request a correction or replyRecord class
Core record
Evidence status
Convicted
Authority role
See cited record
Organization
No organization assigned
Archive classification
This is the archive's application of its published inclusion test. The cited record appears below.
The victim was visiting the priest and was explicitly under his care ('ao seu cuidado') at the time of the assault -- a custodial relationship the court found he exploited, taking advantage of her 'ingenuidade e inexperiência' (naivety and inexperience) given his clerical position.
- Pastoral or clerical authority
Evidence structure
Proceedings
2026-05-15 · First-instance conviction and sentencing
Juízo de Competência Genérica da Horta, Faial, Azores, Portugal. Convicted of attempted sexual abuse of a dependent minor; one year eight months suspended, plus compensation; prosecution appealed for a harsher classification
Cited record
Sources
- CNN Portugal (2026) '"Introduziu a mão dentro da camisola que vestia e tentou tocar-lhe nos seios e beijá-la na boca". Padre condenado por tentativa de abuso sexual de menor nos Açores'. Available at: cnnportugal.iol.pt (Accessed 2026-07-19). English gloss: The Horta court (Faial, Azores) convicted a priest of attempted sexual abuse of a dependent minor; the July 2024 acts involved a 15-year-old girl who was visiting the defendant and in his care -- he embraced her, put his hand under her clothing and attempted to touch her breasts and kiss her mouth four times, only managing to kiss her cheek as she pulled away. Sentence: one year eight months, suspended, plus victim compensation.
CNN Portugal (2026) '"Introduziu a mão dentro da camisola que vestia e tentou tocar-lhe nos seios e beijá-la na boca". Padre condenado por tentativa de abuso sexual de menor nos Açores'. Available at: cnnportugal.iol.pt (Accessed 2026-07-19). English gloss: The Horta court (Faial, Azores) convicted a priest of attempted sexual abuse of a dependent minor; the July 2024 acts involved a 15-year-old girl who was visiting the defendant and in his care -- he embraced her, put his hand under her clothing and attempted to touch her breasts and kiss her mouth four times, only managing to kiss her cheek as she pulled away. Sentence: one year eight months, suspended, plus victim compensation.
- Agência Ecclesia (2026) 'Açores: Sacerdote condenado pela «prática de um crime de abuso sexual de menores de forma tentada»'. Available at: agencia.ecclesia.pt (Accessed 2026-07-19). English gloss: The Diocese of Angra confirmed the conviction, ordered compensation to the victim, and reported that Rome confirmed the diocese's suspension of the priest pending a parallel canonical process; the Public Prosecutor's Office appealed the classification, arguing the crime was in fact consummated.
Agência Ecclesia (2026) 'Açores: Sacerdote condenado pela «prática de um crime de abuso sexual de menores de forma tentada»'. Available at: agencia.ecclesia.pt (Accessed 2026-07-19). English gloss: The Diocese of Angra confirmed the conviction, ordered compensation to the victim, and reported that Rome confirmed the diocese's suspension of the priest pending a parallel canonical process; the Public Prosecutor's Office appealed the classification, arguing the crime was in fact consummated.
Source provenance
Source access and integrity log
This log records source retrieval and file integrity. It does not mean that an automated process independently confirmed every statement in the source.
- Source and tier basis
- https://cnnportugal.iol.pt/padre-abusador/padre-abusa-de-menor/introduziu-a-mao-dentro-da-camisola-que-vestia-e-tentou-tocar-lhe-nos-seios-e-beija-la-na-boca-padre-condenado-por-tentativa-de-abuso-sexual-de-menor-nos-acores/20260619/6a357bc1d34edcee7c657dd4 Legacy citation preserved without a normalized source tier or evidentiary-role code. SHA-256 14ddb7083d2a0340af883209883d15fee18144a158ba242765f92fe6d6e5dfba
- Retrieval
- 2026-07-20 · Preserved
- Bound by Fear automated source-preservation ledger
- Source and tier basis
- https://agencia.ecclesia.pt/portal/acores-sacerdote-condenado-pela-pratica-de-um-crime-de-abuso-sexual-de-menores-de-forma-tentada/ Legacy citation preserved without a normalized source tier or evidentiary-role code. SHA-256 3262b8bed6eeb5a771bdf98385b92e8ed7a57446b6c86f2c20d48b35f19a9074
- Retrieval
- 2026-07-20 · Preserved
- Bound by Fear automated source-preservation ledger
Named in this record? Request a correction, report a changed disposition, or submit a response.
Related record
Related cases · Christian institutions & contexts
- 2018 · Harrisburg, PA, USA PA grand jury: 301 priests, 1,000+ child victims documented ('weaponized' faith)
- 2009 · Dublin, Ireland Ryan Commission: abuse 'endemic' in Catholic-run institutions (state inquiry)
- 2021 · Paris, France CIASE/Sauvé Report: est. 216,000 abused by French clergy since 1950
- 2019 · Vatican City McCarrick: ex-cardinal found guilty by Vatican canonical process, laicized
- 2010 · Oregon City, OR, USA Beagley faith-healing death: parents convicted (criminally negligent homicide)
- 2014 · Philadelphia, PA, USA Schaible: 3rd-degree murder, second child dead of untreated pneumonia
- 2001 · London, UK Victoria Climbié: murder convictions; possession belief; Laming Inquiry followed
- 2012 · London, UK Kristy Bamu: kindoki 'deliverance' murder convictions (30/25-yr minimums)