A Chilean priest was arrested Friday on charges he sexually abused
three minors, amid other high-profile cases that have shocked this
predominantly Roman Catholic country.
Audin Araya allegedly abused
three minors at a Catholic school in the city of Concepcion, located
500 kilometers (310 miles) south of Santiago.
The Concepcion court
ordered Araya's arrest after a hearing to formalize charges of sexual
abuse of students aged between 15 and 17 that allegedly took place in
2008, when Araya was rector of a local high school.
Araya will undergo a psychiatric examination, prosecutor Carlos Palma said.
Araya's attorney, Marcelo Torres, said the allegations "are not clear" and are "contradictory."
The
case comes at a difficult time for the Chilean Catholic Church, which
on April 8 issued a public apology for sexual abuse by pedophile
priests, taking the blame for a lack of diligence in investigating
victim complaints.
Two influential Catholic figures already are
under investigation: priest Fernando Karadina, among the most
influential priests in the country; and Sister Paula (Isabel Margarita
Lagos), the former mother superior of the Ursulinas sisterhood.
Karadina, 80, is suspected of abusing minors over a period of 20 years when he was in charge of an upscale Santiago parish.
The
Vatican earlier this year found him guilty of sexually abusing children
and "sentenced" him to a life of prayer and penitence, but Chile
reopened a case against him.
An inquiry was launched last year after allegations by five adults who were members of the Chilean church set up by Karadina.
Judges
decided not to pursue the case, but an appeals court last month found
that the initial inquiry had not been properly investigated.
Karadina
remains held at a parish house, according to the Vatican, but Sister
Paula traveled to Germany before allegations against her became public.
The Catholic Church carries great influence in Chile, where 70 percent of the country's 17 million people are Roman Catholic.