Three priests gave testimony on Wednesday in an abuse and coverup trial underway in the Vatican, all of whom denied ever witnessing or hearing of suspected abuse.
28-year-old Fr. Gabriele Martinelli of the Diocese of Como is accused of abusing another boy when they were both pupils at the minor seminary. The 71-year-old former rector of the seminary, Fr. Enrico Radice, is accused of covering up the abuse.
The priests who testified on Wednesday are Frs. Angelo Magistrelli, Enzo Pacelli, and Luigi Portarulo. They all appeared to cast doubt on the testimony of a key witness: former Saint Pius X seminarian Kamil Jarzembowski, whose claims regarding the climate and culture of the institution have contributed to public scrutiny and been a focal point of the criminal proceedings.
