The AN is studying this Tuesday whether to extradite a pastor from the 'Conexion with God Church' to Argentina for child abuse

MADRID, 19 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The National Court will study this Tuesday whether to extradite to Argentina a pastor from the "Conexión con Dios Church" who is accused of touching minors using his position.

The Prosecutor's Office of the National Court in its report, to which Europa Press has had access, recalls that the defendant, having earned the trust of parents and minors in the performance of his role as a pastor "and presumably with the intention of satisfying their libidinous desires, performed touching and acts of a sexual nature with respect to minors".

Thus, the Public Ministry collects up to seven events that occurred between 2017 and 2021 in which a pattern is seen in the accused, who took advantage of the minors' stays at home to touch their genitals, photograph them naked or perform fellatio.

The prosecutor indicates that these facts are classified in Argentine law as sexual abuse of minors, and that according to the Spanish Criminal Code they constitute the crime of sexual assault against a minor, for which reason the double jeopardy requirement for extradition is given - -that it is a crime in both countries-.

In addition, remember that the crime has not prescribed, that there is no political motivation in the claim and that the penalties that it entails are greater than one year but that those provided in Argentina are not "inhuman or degrading."

Given that the defendant has Spanish nationality, the Prosecutor's Office recalls that this could lead to the denial of extradition in accordance with article 7 of the treaty with Argentina. But it adds that "it is not appropriate to accept such grounds for refusal given the nature of the facts, as well as the fact that their evidence is basically based on the statements of victim witnesses residing in Argentina."

"In addition, the evidence is found in Argentina and there is no record that a trial has been followed in Spain for the same facts," he points out.