A 62-year-old Catholic priest accused of raping a 17-year-old choir girl in 2022 while he was her parish priest has been arrested by Philippine police. This was reported on March 31 by UCA News.
March 29, p. Conrado Mantak was arrested at his residence in Negros Occidental province in the Western Visayas region, police said.
Earlier, the girl’s parents reported to the police that Mantak abused their daughter last year when he was serving as a parish priest in the city of Sagay.
The policeman said the indictment against Mantak does not allow him to be released on bail, so he must remain behind bars until trial.
“He did not resist arrest. It is possible that he knew this would happen because he was given the opportunity to challenge the rape allegations at the prosecutor’s level.”said Sgt. Paul Gaspard, a member of the police team that arrested the priest.
Gaspard said the prosecutor believes Mantak raped a minor multiple times in 2022.
“Everyone in the parish respected him, so no one dared to question his actions.”Gasper added.
Mantak is reportedly currently looking for a lawyer to defend himself in court. “His relatives are cautious because the case is very delicate. Even lawyers don’t want to immediately defend a child molester… but at the same time he is a priest, a respected person in Philippine society.”– explained one of the parishioners of the priest Michael Viray.
Viray said the congregation never suspected Mantak of committing rape, though they noted that he was always willing to associate with young people.
“He fed them during choir rehearsals. He sometimes even attended choral rehearsals. He emphasized the role of young people in the church and how parents should take care of them, because they are the future of the Catholic Church.Virai added.
Meanwhile, a relative of the victim said that the parents were shocked by the crime, so they went to court. “They are devout Catholics, especially the mother, who is a member of various parish organizations. But they brought charges because they couldn’t believe that a Catholic priest would commit such a heinous crime against her daughter.”– said the uncle of the victim, who preferred to remain anonymous.
The Diocese of San Carlos Priests issued a statement pledging full cooperation with law enforcement and judicial authorities in this matter.
The children’s rights group, the Coalition Against Pedophilia, said it welcomed the bishop’s statement but questioned the justice of the crime. “In the Philippines, there is not a single priest who would go to jail for rape. Nobody. All the victims chose to resolve the conflict or receive money.”– said the organization’s secretary, Marilyn Castro.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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