A woman in southern Brazil has admitted to a campaign of online harassment against a Catholic priest in the Diocese of Criciúma and agreed to pay R$40,000 in damages after a police inquiry into stalking and defamation. The victim was identified by the diocese as Fr Joel Sávio, rector of the Diocesan Sanctuary of Our Lady of Caravaggio in Nova Veneza.
According to investigators, the harassment began after the woman sought spiritual guidance at the Caravaggio sanctuary and then attempted to start a romantic relationship. When the priest rejected the advances, she allegedly launched a months-long smear campaign online.
