7 February 2017, 00:44 GMT
MADRID (Sputnik) — In August 2014, a man, known as Daniel, from Granada wrote a five-page letter to Pope Francis, describing how a number of priests in the Granada parish of Juan Maria de Vianneimeno sexually abused him as a child, when he was an altar boy there. Following the letter, the Spanish authorities launched an investigation involving 12 people, though only Father Roman faced the trial.
The former priest denied all accusations, stressing that the words "I love you" at the end of one of the letters presented as evidence had only "the Christian meaning of love."
The prosecutors call for a nine-year imprisonment of the priest, while the Pro Derechos del Nino y la Nina organization, defending the rights of children, demands a 15-year imprisonment. The plaintiff demands a compensation amounting to about $53,000.
The trial is set to last till March 21, with 40 people, including the Archbishop of Granada Francisco Javier Martinez, expected to give testimony.
