Did Robert Prevost Allow An Abusive Priest To Move Next To A School? Allegations Explained

As Robert Prevost was elected the new Pope on Thursday, old allegations against Prevost of shielding a priest accused of sexual abuse of minors resurfaced. In 2022, three sisters accused two priests in Peru’s Diocese of Chiclayo—then led by Cardinal Robert Prevost—of sexually abusing them as minors between 2006 and 2010.

The sisters allege that Cardinal Prevost failed to initiate a canonical investigation and that any documentation sent to the Vatican was deliberately insufficient to prompt action. He also allegedly allowed one of the accused priests to move to a friary around the corner from the school in Peru.

Pope Leo XIV spent two decades in Peru, starting in 1985, in Chulucanas. He continued to serve at the Diocese of Chiclayo, having been appointed to the role in 2014 by Pope Francis. He officially became the bishop of Chiclayo in 2015 and served until his Vatican appointment in 2023, which brought an end to his 21-year career in the Latin American country.

After the allegations, the Diocese of Chiclayo said that Prevost met with the women in April 2022, encouraged them to report the abuse to civil authorities, and initiated a preliminary canonical investigation. The diocese states that the findings were sent to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) in July 2022. However, Peruvian prosecutors later closed the case, citing expired statutes of limitations.

Also read: Pope Leo XIV's War Of Words With JD Vance, MAGA Influencers Resurface After Vatican Election

“We strenuously deny the existence of any ‘initial investigation’ during the tenure of Mons. Robert Francis Prevost Martínez OSA,” a statement from the Diocese of Chiclayo said. “As proof of our statements, we point to the non-existence of any decree ordering the opening of an investigation, or of any decree issuing precautionary measures. During this period, we were never called by any investigator to make any deposition.”

However, the sisters reject the diocese’s account, saying no formal investigation occurred under Cardinal Prevost and that they were never called to testify. They allege one accused priest remained active despite restrictions. After one sister spoke out in 2023, the case was reopened, and the priest reportedly confessed.

Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News, World and around the world.