A priest sentenced to one year and 11 months in prison (suspended sentence) for attempted aggravated sexual coercion and enticement of a minor for sexual purposes will appeal the Viseu court’s decision, his lawyer said.
Leaving the Viseu court, Paulo Duarte, lawyer for Luis Miguel Costa’s father, told reporters that he did not agree with the verdict handed down this Monday.
“This proves facts that were generally impossible to prove,” the lawyer emphasized, refusing to specify which of them he was talking about.
The sentence will be suspended for three years with probation, and the priest will be required to complete a rehabilitation program for sex offenders against children and young people, as well as undergo psychological and psychiatric assessments.
The priest was also sentenced to the additional penalty of being prohibited from engaging in a profession, work, public or private functions or activities that involve regular contact with minors for a period of ten years.
Paulo Duarte told reporters that, given everything that was said in the media about his client, “the mountain gave birth to a mouse,” since the abstract criminal framework of the type of crimes with which he is accused has a maximum sentence of eight years.
According to the lawyer, the effective prison term “was almost taken for granted, if not eight years, then at least close to it”, and the Viseu court decided on a sentence of less than two years, suspended.
“In any case, we respect the verdict, we respect them all and will appeal it,” he emphasized.
Paulo Duarte assured that he does not downplay his client’s conviction, but rather draws attention “to the decisions made in the public square, since they then do not correspond to what actually happens in the courts.”
The lawyer for the family of the minor, Christian Rodriguez, believes that justice was done this Monday and argues that victims of this type of crime should always file a complaint.
“In this particular case, the victim had no interest, he did not even know the defendant, it was a casual contact,” he told reporters, adding that the young man “should have led a quiet life and suddenly he ends up offering sexual character from a person who had to earn trust, authority, was even a friend of those present, was a priest.”
Christiana Rodrigues was convinced that the young man would no longer be the same after the situation he had experienced: “it is obvious that his trust in others, adults and priests in particular, will always be disappointed and one day, in his children, it may not cease.” he let them get close to whoever they wanted.”
The lawyer praised the young man’s parents, “who helped him and encouraged him not to leave this situation unnoticed,” and believed that the priest’s conviction would help “grief.”
“Fortunately, since he was a well-formed boy, he did not respond to sexual attempts made towards him,” he emphasized.
Christiana Rodrigues repeated that the young man’s parents were not moved by the money for compensation, especially since they already assumed that it would be transferred “to an institution that deals with the sexual abuse of minors.”
As for the claim of the minor’s family for compensation in the amount of 30 thousand euros, the court partially satisfied it, stipulating that the priest must pay 10 thousand euros (plus penalties) as compensation for moral damage.
The Viseu court found that the minor’s testimony, corroborated by his father, as well as messages sent by the priest (he was 45 years old at the time) to the minor’s mobile phone were “more than sufficient” to secure a conviction.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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