Costa Rican police raid Catholic Church headquarters in sexual abuse case

Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) raided the Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica and Metropolitan Curia headquarters in San José this Thursday as part of a sexual abuse investigation against two priests.

Agents entered both institutions to look for documents regarding separate investigations into Mauricio Víquez and Manuel Antonio Guevara, two priests accused of sexually abusing minors.

Jason Granados, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Curia, said the institution is cooperating with authorities.

“[On Thursday] we received, on behalf of judicial authorities, a request for information. It’s the first time they’ve asked us for information, and we’ve gladly given it to them,” Granados told reporters during the raid. “What the church is looking for the truth to be clarified and for the proceedings to be carried out fairly.

Viquez, who was expelled from the clergy last week, is being charged with aggravated rape, the prosecutor’s office said. The former priest faces at least nine charges of sexually abusing minors.

Guevara, who was separated from his parish in Santo Domingo, is being investigated for sexual abuse against a minor.

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