'Spotlight' priest hangs himself in jail after fresh paedophilia allegations

A priest convicted of sex abuse has hanged himself in jail following further allegations of paedophilia.

Father Bonifacio Buzzi, 57, was found dead in his prison cell in Minas Gerais, in the north of Brazil, the state government said in a statement.

According to reports, he had hanged himself with a sheet.

Buzzi was facing allegations that he had molested two boys aged nine and 13, and was arrested on Friday after criminal complaints were made.

He had previously been convicted of the abuse of a 10-year-old boy and was jailed from 2007 to 2015.

Buzzi was cited among the paedophilia cases listed at the end of Spotlight, the Oscar-winning 2015 film based on the Boston Globe newspaper's investigation of sexual abuses by Catholic priests and efforts by the Boston Archdiocese to cover them up.

Allegations against Buzzi first emerged in the 1990s in his home state of Santa Catarina. In 1995 he was convicted of molesting two boys in his parish near Mariana after their parents accused him of performing oral sex on their children.

Buzzi got a reduced sentence and the Catholic Church obtained a court order allowing him to serve it out at the home of the local archbishop.

Additional reporting by Reuters.

related articles
Spotlight star Michael Keaton defends the Catholic faith

Spotlight star Michael Keaton defends the Catholic faith

Spotlight: a film that the whole church cannot – and must not – ignore
Spotlight: a film that the whole church cannot – and must not – ignore

Spotlight: a film that the whole church cannot – and must not – ignore

Pope\'s commission on sex abuse sits down to watch Spotlight
Pope's commission on sex abuse sits down to watch Spotlight

Pope's commission on sex abuse sits down to watch Spotlight

Every Catholic bishop should watch \'Spotlight\', says former Vatican sex abuse prosecutor
Every Catholic bishop should watch 'Spotlight', says former Vatican sex abuse prosecutor

Every Catholic bishop should watch 'Spotlight', says former Vatican sex abuse prosecutor

News
CoE sees surge in interest this Christmas amid reports of a 'quiet revival'
CoE sees surge in interest this Christmas amid reports of a 'quiet revival'

The Church of England has said that it is experiencing a surge in interest and that it has registered a record number of services this Christmas.

Nicaragua bans international visitors from bringing in Bibles
Nicaragua bans international visitors from bringing in Bibles

Nicaragua has gone up the league table of anti-Christian persecutors.

The little-known prayers written by Jane Austen
The little-known prayers written by Jane Austen

It is now 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen whose books and their many screen adaptations are beloved around the world. Not many people know that she was a devout Christian who also wrote devotional prayers. This is the story …

The Anglican worldview of Jane Austen’s life and novels
The Anglican worldview of Jane Austen’s life and novels

16 December 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of novelist Jane Austen, who was born in southern England in 1775. Her novels are steeped in biblical analogy and practical theology. This is the story…