A Catholic priest who has been accused of sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl said that he thought the child was 15, and that he did what he did because ‘the devil tripped’ him
Father Paolo Glaentzer, 70, was arrested last month for molesting an 11-year-old girl in a car.
The Italian priest has not been jailed, but is currently being held on house arrest while an investigation continues.
BYPASS THE CENSORS
Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use
RT reports: The disgraced priest told an Italian newspaper that he is “very sorry” about what happened, but argued that “the devil tripped me” into abusing the girl.
Glaentzer said that the encounter was “an exchange of affection” that got out of control, and added that the victim seemed “much more mature than she was.”
“I found out she was 11 years old…I thought she was at least 15,” he told the newspaper. Even if Glaentzer’s victim was 15, the priest would still have broken the law. Italy’s age of consent is 16 when one partner holds some kind of power and influence over the other, like a priest or teacher does.
The priest, who the interviewer noted seemed totally unbothered by the ongoing criminal case, said that he has “entrusted myself to Jesus and Mary.”
