Dominican court opens case on ex-Vatican official

[DonViejo]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — A court in the Dominican Republic is taking the first steps toward possible sexual abuse charges against a former Vatican ambassador to the Caribbean country.

An investigative magistrate is examining allegations against Josef Wesolowski to determine if there is sufficient evidence to warrant criminal charges. The Santo Domingo prosecutor’s office announced that the case had been opened late Tuesday, a day after the Vatican said its former ambassador had lost his diplomatic immunity.

The Vatican recalled Wesolowski in August 2013 after allegations emerged he had sexually molested boys there. Dominican officials say his presence is not required in the country for authorities to review an investigation of the allegations and decide whether formal charges are warranted.

The court says it will begin interviewing alleged victims on Sept. 2.

###

Read more: http://www.salon.com/2014/08/27/dominican_court_opens_case_on_ex_vatican_official/

[BlueInPhilly]

1. Vatican is still an independent state

and the Vatican ambassador had immunity. Good luck extraditing him anywhere. The Lateran treaty does not even allow him to be extradited to Italy!

[secondwind]

2. hypocrisy at its finest... The Dominican authorities ALLOW men to molest girls down there, and

boys, too.... They look the other way... I know this first hand..... I've lived there.

They don't care if a 40-ish man comes into a restaurant with an 11 yr old girl and buys her food, etc. they look the other way.

the Dominican Republic is as depraved as any other third world country.... I feel sorry for the poor people down there, because sometimes out of necessity they will allow a man -- American, Italian, whatever -- photograph their children naked, OR WORSE.

[bklyncowgirl]

3. Boston Globe: "Ex-ambassador can be tried by Dominican court, Vatican says"

https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2014/08/25/ambassador-can-tried-dominican-court-vatican-says/QxqvmoSwk6D1AgygZzlbvJ/story.html

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican said Monday that its former ambassador to the Dominican Republic, accused of sexually abusing young boys in the Caribbean country, had lost his diplomatic immunity and could be tried by Dominican courts.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said in a statement that Josef Wesolowski had ended all diplomatic activity for the Holy See and lost his related immunity and therefore ‘‘might also be subjected to judicial procedures from the courts that could have specific jurisdiction over him

If so, I think this would be a first--and a good start.