Colombian priest's confession of abuse ignites claims of cover-up

Published: 2006-10-06

BOGOTA, Colombia (CNS) -- A Colombian priest's confession that he sexually abused students decades ago has ignited a scandal in the Colombian church, with accusations of wider abuse -- including by a bishop -- and a church cover-up. The Colombian bishops said Oct. 4 that they would investigate all accusations and encouraged alleged victims to take their cases to court. The videotaped confession by Father Efrain Rozo Rincon, 78, was first broadcast Sept. 28 by Bogota radio station W. The tape was made in February, when Father Rozo confessed to U.S. lawyers representing his nephew, Ernesto Rozo, who is suing the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, where some of the alleged abuses occurred. Father Rozo, who currently lives in a Bogota residence for priests, said in the confession that while assigned to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and working at Loyola Marymount University between 1967 and 1969, he had sexually abused his nephew and had shown him pornography. Father Rozo also confessed that before being assigned to Los Angeles, he had fondled a 14-year-old student, Jose Tavera Castillo, in Colombia.

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