A report published on 24 October 2025, stated that nearly 4,400 people in Italy have suffered sex abuse by Catholic priests since 2020, according to figures released by the victims’ organization Rete l’Abuso. This situation highlights the ongoing italian church sex scandal.
This report compiles 20 documented incidents of sexual abuse committed by Catholic and Evangelical clergy in Italy between 2010 and 2025. The cases involve victims across all demographics – women, children, men, and migrants revealing a pattern of exploitation by religious figures who abused their spiritual authority, contributing to the italian church sex scandal. These incidents, drawn from court records and news reports, highlight systemic issues within Christian institutions, including the shielding of accused clergy and the failure to protect vulnerable communities.
#1 Jesuit Priest Expelled for Abuse of Women
In June 2023, Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik, a prominent Jesuit priest and artist, was expelled from the Jesuit order following allegations from multiple adult women of sexual, spiritual, and psychological abuse spanning 30 years. The victims reported that Rupnik used his position to manipulate them. Despite a 2020 excommunication for misusing the confessional for a sexual relationship – a penalty quickly lifted, church authorities initially ignored complaints. His expulsion came only after he refused to address the allegations.
#2 Priest Accused of Pimping and Orgies
In January 2017, Father Andrea Contin, a parish priest in Padua, was suspended after allegations emerged that he pimped around 15 women and organized sexual orgies in his rectory. Police found sex toys and homemade pornography, some labeled with papal names. Contin advertised the women’s services online and planned a trip to a swingers’ resort in France. The case exposed how clerical positions were exploited for illicit activities.
#3 Franciscan Priest Rapes Nun
In January 2006, Father Francesco Bisceglia and his deputy, Antonio Gaudio, were arrested in Cosenza for forcing a nun into sexual orgies at a Franciscan monastery. The victim reported being filmed while raped by multiple men. Police collected videotapes as evidence. This case, predating the report’s timeline but included for context, illustrates the extreme vulnerability of even religious insiders to exploitation and the brutal mechanisms of silence and power abuse within monastic settings.
#4 Calabria Priest Abuses Teenage Boy
In July 2025, a parish priest in Calabria was arrested for sexually abusing a 16-year-old boy from 2015 to 2020. The priest exploited the victim’s difficult family situation, assaulting him during Church-organized activities. The arrest followed a complex police investigation, which also implicated another priest in northern Italy for similar crimes.
#5 Brescia Priest Preys on Altar Boys
In April 2025, Don Ciro Panigara, 48, was placed under house arrest for aggravated sexual violence against multiple boys aged 10–12. The abuse occurred during parish activities between 2011–2013 and again in 2024. Panigara resigned in January 2025 when complaints surfaced. His case revealed how perpetrators repeatedly target young boys in trusted roles, with legal action often lagging behind years of predatory behavior.
#6 Elderly Pastor Abuses 7-Year-Old Girl
In August 2024, an 83-year-old former Evangelical pastor was placed under house arrest in Trento on allegations of sexually abusing a seven-year-old girl in December 2022. The case came to light after a volunteer from the Catholic charity Caritas reported the incident to authorities. According to the report, the father of the victim, a family originally from Cameroon residing in a local community, had confided the details of the abuse to the volunteer. The alleged assault took place while the girl and her family were staying in a community within the Trentino region. Following the report, the Trento police moved swiftly to investigate the claims, resulting in the former pastor’s arrest.
#7 Italian Priest Arrested on Charges of Sexually Abusing Minor
Father Andrea Melis, a 60-year-old priest and former director of a Catholic school, was arrested in August 2024, on serious allegations of sexually abusing an adolescent boy over a period of more than three years. The abuse reportedly began when the victim was just 12 years old. According to investigators, Father Melis used his position to groom the boy, offering him gifts in exchange for sexual favors. The gifts included electronic cigarettes, prepaid credit cards, brand-name clothing, dinners, and video games. Father Melis held significant authority within the Catholic community, having served not only as a school director but also as the head of a federation of Catholic schools. Following the allegations, both the Archdiocese of Genoa and his religious order, the Piarist Fathers, had already suspended him from all assignments in accordance with church protocols prior to his arrest.
#8 Priest Sentenced for Abusing 13-Year-Old
In May 2024, Don Livio Graziano was sentenced to eight years for repeatedly abusing a 13-year-old boy entrusted to his care. The abuse was uncovered when the boy’s father noticed behavioral changes and found incriminating messages. Police also recovered €107,000 in the priest’s room. The Court of Cassation upheld the sentence, emphasizing the gravity of breaching pastoral trust for sexual exploitation.
#9 Catholic Priest in Sicily Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Abuse of Minor
A Catholic priest was convicted and sentenced for the sexual abuse of a minor, following a years-long pursuit for justice by the victim. Father Giuseppe Rugolo was found guilty by a court in Enna in March 2024, for crimes of sexual violence committed against Antonio Messina. The abuse occurred over a four-year period, from 2009 to 2013, while Messina was a minor and Rugolo was serving as a priest. The case came to light in 2020 when Messina, then 30 years old, took the extraordinary step of writing a direct letter to Pope Francis to report the abuse and demand justice. He subsequently filed a formal complaint with law enforcement, leading to Rugolo’s arrest in 2021 and his placement under house arrest. After legal proceedings, the court delivered its verdict, sentencing Father Rugolo to four and a half years in prison. In addition to the prison term, the court imposed significant restrictive measures: a permanent ban from teaching and a five-year prohibition from holding any public office.
#10 Vatican’s First On-Site Abuse Conviction
In a historic ruling, an Italian priest was convicted by a Vatican court for sexually abusing a fellow seminarian, marking the first-ever such conviction for a crime committed within the Vatican’s walls. Gabriele Martinelli, 31, was found guilty in January 2024, of molesting an underage student at the Saint Pius X Pre-Seminary, where both were residing in August 2010. The abuse occurred while Martinelli, then a senior student, was serving as a tutor to the younger victim. The Vatican tribunal sentenced Martinelli to two years and six months in prison. This case represents a significant moment for the Holy See’s judicial system, as it was the first time the Vatican has prosecuted and convicted someone for sexual abuse that took place on its own territory.
#11 Italian Priest Arrested After Victim Records Sexual Abuse on Phone
A parish priest was arrested in November 2019 for the sexual abuse of an 11-year-old girl, after the victim took the extraordinary step of recording the assault on her mobile phone when adult parishioners refused to believe her initial reports. Father Michele Mottola, the parish priest of Trentola Ducenta near Naples, was suspended by the Catholic Church in May 2019 following initial allegations. However, his arrest in November came only after the girl’s secretly recorded evidence was broadcast on the national current affairs program Le Iene. The recordings provided damning evidence of the abuse. In one clip, the priest is heard saying, “Do you want a kiss?” and “There is no one here. Are you afraid? Kiss me, hug me.” A second recording captured the sound of heavy breathing and the girl’s clear protests. The victim, hailed as a hero for her courage and presence of mind, had turned to recording the incidents after her initial reports to adult members of the parish were dismissed. Her actions provided the crucial evidence needed for authorities to take immediate action, leading directly to Father Mottola’s arrest.
#12 Florentine Priest Sentenced to Prison for Abuse of 10-Year-Old Girl
Don Paolo Glaentzer, a 70-year-old parish priest from the San Rufignano Church in the Florence diocese, was sentenced to over four years in prison for the abuse of a 10-year-old girl. The case came to light after the priest was discovered naked in a car with the young victim. In March 2019, the court found him guilty and imposed the prison sentence, additionally ordering him to pay €50,000 in damages to the victim. During court proceedings, Glaentzer’s defense claimed that he had believed the girl was 15 years old. The court rejected this justification in delivering the guilty verdict.
#13 Vatican Diplomat Sentenced to Prison in Child Pornography Case
In a significant ruling, a Vatican court sentenced a former diplomat to five years in prison for possessing and distributing child pornography. Carlo Alberto Capella, a 51-year-old Italian priest who served at the Vatican’s embassy in Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to the charges. The case against Capella was built after authorities discovered more than 40 illicit photos and videos on his mobile phone. The material included depictions of sexual contact between adults and prepubescent children. Capella was taken into custody in April 2018. His conviction on 23 June 2018, represented a direct application of the Vatican’s strengthened legal framework, specifically laws introduced in 2013 to combat child sexual abuse and the circulation of child sexual abuse material.
#14 Italian Bishop’s Spokesman Arrested for Sexual Abuse of Minor
Father Giangiacomo Ruggieri, a 43-year-old Catholic priest who served as the bishop’s spokesman for the Diocese of Fano, was arrested on charges of sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl. The arrest on 4 May 2018, has sent shockwaves through the local community, where Ruggieri was well-known and actively engaged with youth, earning him the nickname “the young people’s priest.” Following the allegations, the Diocese of Fano suspended Ruggieri from all his duties. Italian police launched a formal investigation into the case, which included a raid on the priest’s home and the seizure of his computer as part of their evidence-gathering process.
#15 Italian Priest Arrested for Using ‘Holy Oil Ritual’ to Sexually Abuse Minors
Father Pio Guidolin, a Catholic priest, was taken into custody by the Carabinieri on 1 December 2017, on charges of sexually abusing boys under the age of 14 by manipulating them through a perverted religious ritual. According to a police investigation, the abuse occurred in 2014. Father Guidolin allegedly targeted vulnerable boys who were dealing with family issues. He is accused of religious manipulation, telling his victims that sexual acts were “acts of purification capable of easing their inner suffering.” To legitimize the abuse, he covered the boys in holy oil from his church. The investigation further revealed that Guidolin used threats to silence the boys and prevent them from reporting the abuse.
#16 Italian Priest “Don Mercedes” Convicted for Sexually Abusing Minors
A local court found priest Mauro Inzoli, a 67-year-old cleric widely known by the nicknames “Don Mauro” and “Don Mercedes,” guilty of sexually abusing minors. The verdict, delivered on 18 June 2017, concludes a significant case involving the abuse of children aged 12 to 16. The conviction covers eight separate counts of sexual abuse that took place between 2004 and 2008. During the legal proceedings, it was revealed that Inzoli had paid a total of $28,000 in compensation to five of his victims. The case against Inzoli, which had drawn considerable attention for the priest’s flamboyant nickname and the severity of the charges, concluded with the guilty verdict.
#17 Sicilian Priest Posing as Exorcist Arrested for Sexual Molestation
Salvatore Anello, a 59-year-old Catholic priest, was arrested on charges of sexually molesting five individuals, including a 12-year-old girl, by exploiting his claimed role as a healer and exorcist. The arrest, carried out on 21 October 2016, by the state police’s child protection unit at a Capuchin convent, followed allegations that Anello targeted vulnerable individuals seeking spiritual help. The victims, which included four adult women and the minor, were often in psychologically unstable states or suffering from serious illnesses. Anello allegedly manipulated them by claiming he could free them from demonic possession through “healing prayers,” which he then used as a pretext for sexual assault. In a swift response, the Diocese of Palermo confirmed that Anello was never authorized to perform exorcisms.
#18 Founder of Drug Rehab Centre Charged with Abuse
In June 2010, in Amelia, Umbria, 85-year-old Pierino Gelmini, a former Catholic priest and founder of the “Comunita Incontro” drug rehabilitation network, was charged with sexually abusing 12 young people at his centre. The allegations first emerged in 2008 when nine young men came forward; three more victims reported later. Gelmini, once a prominent figure in Italy’s anti-drug movement, used his position of authority within the treatment facility to prey on vulnerable residents. An official investigation into the widespread abuse at the rehab centres he founded was underway.
#19 Prison Chaplain Arrested for Abusing Inmates
In 2012, Father Alberto Barin, a 51-year-old Roman Catholic chaplain at Milan’s San Vittore prison, was arrested for demanding sexual favors from at least six male inmates. The victims were non-Italian prisoners jailed for minor crimes. Barin exploited his position, offering cigarettes and basic hygiene items like soap and shampoo in exchange for sex. He even demanded sexual acts as “repayment” for helping with early releases. The arrest followed an inmate’s complaint, which led to an investigation where hidden cameras placed in his office confirmed the allegations of systematic exploitation and abuse.
#20 Charity Director Preyed on Migrants for Sex (2014)
Reverend Sergio Librizzi, a Catholic priest and Director of Caritas in Trapani, Sicily, was arrested for exploiting migrants and the poor. Librizzi demanded sexual favors from vulnerable individuals seeking asylum assistance, residency visas, and charity aid from his organization. He was accused of at least 10 episodes of sexual violence since 2009. Authorities arrested him at his parish while he was preparing for Mass. Following the arrest, he was suspended from his duties. Investigators made a further discovery of 10,000 euros in cash in his church.
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