A Catholic Church has acquitted an HIV-infected priest who has admitted to raping close to 30 young girls between the ages of five and 10 years old. According to a bombshell report, the priest, Jose Garcia Ataulfo, was absolved of any wrongdoing by the Archdiocese of Mexico.
Ataulfo has admitted to despite knowing his HIV positive status, sexually assaulting indigenous young girls from Oaxaca, a state in southern Mexico known for its large indigenous population.
The priest has yet to face any criminal charges, most likely due to the significant influence that the Catholic Church wields in Mexico, particularly in areas populated by indigenous ethnic groups.
According to Urgente24.com, only two of the over two dozen rape victims have come forward to denounce the acquittal.
The website Anonymous Mexico reported that the mother of one of the victims asked to meet with Pope Francis in Rome, but she was rebuffed by the Vatican which wrote a letter stating that it considered the matter closed.
Since assuming the papacy in 2013, Pope Francis has said that the Church would remove bishops who cover up sex crimes committed by priests against children.