Fr Charles Fenech gets suspended jail term for indecent assault
Fr Charles Fenech, former leader of the philanthropic Kerygma Movement, has been handed a three-month jail term, suspended for a year, after a court found him guilty of indecent assault.
The woman involved had testified that separation from her husband had left her very depressed and that Fenech had become a patriarchal figure in her life.
The woman filed her first police report in August 2011. She was working at Dar Tal-Providenza and described how the priest had urged her to perform oral sex on him. Battling depression, she was eventually admitted to Mount Carmel Hospital to receive psychiatric treatment.
She testified that at a later stage, when she was in a better place, celebrations were being hosted at her home and Fenech was among the guests. At one point, the priest asked to speak with her alone and attempted to give her a French kiss, the victim testified.
She also testified that she was forced to give oral sex to Fenech in the convent where he resided and in her home on several occasions.
The Malta Independent had revealed that Fenech, a 57-yearold Dominican priest known for his organisation of volleyball marathons in aid of Dar Tal-Providenza, was charged with sexually abusing at least five women. Back in 2014, this newsroom discovered that the case had been before the Curia Response Team for eight years prior.
In spite of the allegations and his case being heard in court and by the Church Response Team, Fr Fenech had continued to lead the Kerygma Movement, an organisation for young people, and the radio station Radju Marija, also presenting a daily programme until 2014, when stories surrounding his behaviour with a number of women began to surface.
“I love you very much”; “u know that I do mistakes but I never do anything 2 hurt you and lose u”; “Even when u r down rem [remember] u r v imp 2 me”. These are just a sample of the many SMSs one of the five victims who have alleged sexual abused by Fr Charles Fenech received from him during their 10-year relationship.
In its consideration, the court, presided over by Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona, noted the close but turbulent relationship between the victim and the accused, where the former sometimes put the accused on a pedestal but “detest[ed]” him at other times. The court stated that Fenech took on a patriarchal role to the victim, and that the relationship between the pair had been inappropriate to say the least.
Magistrate Micallef Trigona described the testimony of people in which the victim had placed her trust as “perplexing”, as they had described many other allegations against the accused, adding that the court would not comment on such matters.
The testimony of a psychiatrist, under whose care the victim had been for 20-odd years also confirmed to the court that she was suffering from mental illness.
Fenech had also been charged with detaining a woman against her will and offending a person’s morals in a public sphere but was cleared of these charges.
Inspector Louise Calleja prosecuted.
Curia statement
In a statement, The Curia stressed that the Church’s Safeguarding Commission had taken note of the court judgement. “In keeping with the recommendation of the Safeguarding Commission of January 2016, Fr Fenech remains restricted from occupying any pastoral role within the Archdiocese of Malta and the Diocese of Gozo. The public is reminded to contact the police and the Safeguarding Commission about any concerns related to abuse. The Commission can be contacted on 2590 6315 or by email on info@safeguarding.org.mt.”