DILI, East Timor — A defrocked American priest accused of molesting girls for years at an East Timor shelter has gone on trial in a case that split the overwhelmingly Catholic country. The church is a powerful and respected institution in East Timor, where around 97 percent of its people are Catholic. Many devout Timorese have cast doubt on the horrific abuse claims and most alleged victims don’t want to be identified, fearing retribution in the former Portuguese colony. One alleged victim, who lived at the shelter for eight years, said details of Daschbach’s alleged crimes must be heard. We experienced it ourselves.”The ex-priest, who has lived in East Timor since the mid-1970s and is currently under house arrest, is also wanted in the United States on several counts of wire fraud, according to Interpol.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer June 10, 2021 03:11 UTC