Church sex abuse inquiry raids

SANTIAGO: Chilean prosecutors and police launched raids on the offices of four bishoprics yesterday as they continued investigating cases of sexual abuse of minors by members of the Roman Catholic Church.

Chilean prosecutor Emiliano Arias ordered the simultaneous raids in the coastal city of Valparaiso and the southern cities of Concepcion, Chillan and Osorno.

The raids were prompted by information law enforcement officials uncovered in previous searches, Diego Alcaino, a spokesman for Arias, said. The information related to Oscar Munoz, a top aide to Santiago’s archbishop, who faces charges over accusations of sexual abuse of at least five minors.

Munoz and his defence team are due to appear in court today, where they are expected to ask for him to be released from protective custody, Alcaino said.

Munoz has confessed to sex crimes in documents seized previously by Arias. His lawyer has said some of the accusations in the documents are true, but he will challenge some others. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment yesterday.

The archdiocese of Concepcion said law enforcement officials took statements from several church office employees and seized the originals of documents already provided in copies.

‘‘This archbishopric reiterates its full respect for and compliance with the law,’’ it said.

The archdiocese of Valparaiso said it handed over the documents that prosecutors requested.

A representative for Chillan declined to comment. A representative for Osorno did not immediately reply to a request for comment. — Reuters