The Church is opening an investigation against a Catholic bishop in Spain after allegations of sexual abuse in the 1990s

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The Diocese of Cadiz and Ceuta said in a statement that “the case was presented last week to the Rota Court of the Apostolic Nunciature in Spain,” adding that “the accusations made, in reference to events that occurred almost thirty years ago, are extremely serious and, moreover, false.”

According to El Pais newspaper, Rafael Zornoza, Bishop of Cádiz, is accused of continuous sexual abuse of a minor in the 1990s, when he was a priest and ran the theological school in Getafe, a town near Madrid.

The victim accuses Rafael Zornoza of assaulting her between the ages of 14 and 21, with touches, caresses or kisses, when she was attending seminary, as well as at camps and meetings.

The case, referred to the criminal field, was referred to the Holy See at the beginning of the year, when the victim sent a complaint to the Department for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican department responsible for this type of case, which considered the facts credible and ordered a legal investigation to be opened, according to El Pais newspaper.

At present, neither the Vatican nor the Spanish Episcopal Conference have removed the bishop from his duties.

The Diocese of Cadiz added that Rafael Zornoza “decided to temporarily suspend his agenda to clarify the facts and undergo treatment for an aggressive cancer,” calling for respect for “the presumption of innocence.”

This Tuesday, José Cobo, Archbishop of Madrid and Vice-President of the European Economic Commission, classified this type of situation in front of journalists as a “drama” and stated that if the Holy See opens an investigation, it is because “there must be the possibility of verification” in the complaint.

The Spanish Catholic Church is often criticized for its lack of action in the face of sexual abuse committed by religious people.