Fr Gabriele Martinelli A Vatican prosecutor requested that Fr Gabriele Martinelli, who is accused of sexually abusing a younger student at the St Pius X Pre-Seminary, be sentenced to six years in prison if convicted.
At the 11th session of the Vatican criminal trial July 15, Roberto Zanotti, the prosecutor, explained that the recommended sentence for the crimes of aggravated rape and aggravated lewd acts was reduced to exclude acts allegedly committed before Fr Martinelli, then a student, turned 16 in August 2008.
Zanotti also recommended that Msgr. Enrico Radice, the former rector of the minor seminary and Fr Martinelli’s mentor, be sentenced to four years in prison for “aiding and abetting sexual violence”.
Msgr. Radice is accused of hindering the investigation into the abuse allegations. The seminary, which is operated by the Diocese of Como, and the Opera Don Folci, the religious institution that runs the minor seminary, also are accused of failing to protect the young students.