Prosecutor's Office detained Christian pastor in Cali for alleged abuse of nine women

The director of the Cali section of the Attorney General's Office, Sandra Eugenia González Mina, announced that Mr. Carlos Eduardo Cuero Arbeláez, pastor of the Christian church La Puerta Estrecha and teacher of spiritual growth at the Caminos de Libertad Foundation, was captured for the alleged sexual abuse of nine women in his charge.

According to investigations by the Prosecutor's Office, situations of abuse occurred on the premises of these two centers, between 2012 and June 16, 2019. The church of Cuero is located in the La Base neighborhood, a traditional neighborhood in commune 8 of the capital del Valle; while Camino de Libertad, dedicated to the care of prisoners of liberty, is located in commune 2, on the border with the municipality of Yumbo.

According to the prosecutor, Pastor Cuero would have committed psychological abuse within the framework of a relationship of abuse of power. On the nine women, one of whom is a minor, he would have exerted pressure, suggestion, verbal violence and degradation against them, in order to abuse them.

Specifically, the pastor managed to get them to display their bodies in order to manipulate their private parts and access them carnally, under the pretext of a service of “Christian formation and spiritual growth”. Some of them were parishioners of his, while others were subordinate.

The victims were interviewed and evaluated by Legal Medicine. With all the evidence gathered, the municipal criminal judge 21 issued an arrest warrant against the pastor on March 2. This order became effective on March 13, when Cuero Arbeláez approached his voting station at the Liceo Departmental school.

The prosecutor of the Comprehensive Care Center for Victims of Sexual Abuse (Caivas) submitted sufficient evidence for the third criminal judge with control of guarantees to decide to send Cuero to prison for the crimes of aggravated violent carnal access in homogeneous and successive competition in heterogeneous competition with aggravated violent sexual act in homogeneous contest, in competition with sexual harassment.

Women are losing the fear of denouncing those who abuse their authority to spread with them. Sadly famous is the case of the 13-year-old girl in San Bernardo del Viento (Córdoba), who was performing voluntary services in the Church of the Immaculate when former priest Carlos José Carvajal Galvis had carnally acceded to her.

The most serious thing is that the abuse would have occurred repeatedly, to the point where the victim became pregnant and Carvajal Galvis forced her to have a forced termination of pregnancy.

After the girl reported what happened to her parents, the priest would have tried to commit suicide, but he fled and eventually surrendered to the CTI. He is now facing legal proceedings for the crimes of violent and abusive carnal access against children under 14 years of age.

On the other hand, last January four sportsmen reported to the Attorney General's Office for an alleged mistreatment of Giovanny Vega Blanco, a renowned coach of the Santander circuit, for more than two years.

It is estimated that there were at least 30 athletes affected, according to the Advisory Office for Women and Gender Equity of the Mayor's Office of Bucaramanga. However, it should be noted that legal actions are not only related to a sexual component, since it is also pointed out that the aforementioned coach would have alleged abuse, harassment and even incentivize those directed to inject substances with the aim of enhancing their performance.

KEEP READING: