The investigation began in November 2017 after the publication of these events in a book. “Original pecato” by journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi and they continued with other reports, for example from the television program “Le Iene”.

Nuzzi, who was tried and acquitted by a Vatican court for lack of territorial jurisdiction in 2016 due to leaked documents, repeated in his book the complaints of a young Pole, Kamil Tadeusz Jarzembowski, about what happened at this seminar.

At the hearing, three former students said they dominated the pre-seminar “unhealthy environment” where “sexual jokes” were commonand the accused Martinelli was identified as a confidant of the rector, even surpassing the management team.

One former student claimed to have seen Martinelli “touching the private parts” of another student; and another talked about “touching” younger ones, but in general terms, without details.

Another point in this process was the statement by the Bishop of the Diocese of Como (northern Italy) Oscar Cantoni, head of the Opera Don Folci, manager of the preliminary seminar, that between 2006 and 2012, priests at the center had already warned about “inappropriate sexual behavior” by Martinelli.

The diocese carried out its own investigation and, among other things, accepted compensation of 20,000 euros for the victim, which was never paid, and also imposed sanctions on the priest, who was isolated in a monastery in the Alpine region of Valle d’Aosta and then in Como , where he could only talk to his family and superiors.

EFE