Priest Alejandro Nicola appeared this Monday at the Courts II in the city of Córdoba to undergo psychological evaluations ordered by the Justice as part of the criminal investigation against him. The legal case examines alleged sexual abuses committed against children attending a kindergarten located in the town of Villa Carlos Paz. Upon leaving the courthouse, a group of mothers of the victims confronted the priest to demand speed in the process that has been ongoing for 17 months.
During this period of criminal investigation, the families filed 13 complaints with the judicial authorities and initiated 6 interviews using the Gesell chamber system. The mothers expressed their frustration over the delay in the proceedings and questioned the emotional impact their children have been experiencing since the case began. The priest descended the courthouse stairs amid demands and direct reproaches from the family members present.
During the verbal exchange that occurred on the courthouse stairs, one of the mothers confronted the priest directly stating: “Why are you silent, why don’t you go after the adults and not the children?” The woman continued her outburst criticizing the state of the students and indicated: “The children can’t sleep, they go from psychologist to psychiatrist. You continue as if nothing is wrong. I hope God sees all this. I hope justice is served and you go to jail. You are the abuser.”
Protests outside the courthouse
Institutional measures and family concerns
Alejandro Nicola was formally removed from his pastoral duties in the Niño Dios parish community in June of this year by order of ecclesiastical authorities. However, at the end of July, the priest returned to public attention by participating in the co-celebration of a mass held at the Cathedral of Córdoba. This reappearance generated backlash among the parents of the minors, who believe that these public actions contrast with the demands made in the courthouse.
The criminal file accumulates the relevant actions corresponding to the expert statements and testimonies provided by the professionals attending to the affected children. The families of the educational community continue to request periodic meetings with the authorities of the criminal jurisdiction to learn about the progress of the pending evidence measures. For its part, the intervening prosecutor continues to analyze the psychological reports and medical evaluations commissioned to the official experts.
The case opened in Villa Carlos Paz keeps the families on edge, who insist on the application of precautionary measures as the studies progress in court. The psychological evaluations conducted on the priest will be included in the main body of the judicial file to determine the next procedural steps within the criminal instruction. In this way, the judicial authorities will have to resolve the legal situation of the priest once the corresponding evidentiary stages in the Córdoba jurisdiction are completed.
