Robert Prevost was elected today, Thursday, May 8, as the new Pope Leo XIV to lead the Vatican. However, accusations of covering up sexual abuse by clergy haunt him. A formal complaint filed in 2022 by the organization Survivors Network of those Abused By Priests (SNAP) pointed to Prevost, who at the time was the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, for failing to report to authorities about cases of sexual abuse committed in the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, when he was a bishop.
The complaint involves priests Eleuterio Vázquez González and Ricardo Yesquen, who have accumulated allegations since 1997. Although one of the priests admitted the charges, Prevost allegedly did not take appropriate action or inform the relevant civil authorities. In August 2023, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith closed the case after the crimes were time-barred under Peruvian law.
SNAP requested the Vatican conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the allegations, demanding that the results be made public. The victims, who reported the abuse in 2022, stated that Prevost did not carry out a formal investigation or properly inform the relevant authorities.
Despite reaching out to Prevost for questioning on the matter, SNAP did not receive a response. The recent report highlights the lack of transparency and the frustration of the victims over the absence of concrete actions to address these cases of sexual abuse in the Church.
