Some children who have accused priests of child sex abuse are no more than 'spiteful' boys who fell in love with priests and were rejected, according to a Vatican envoy.
The Buenos Aires Herald reports that Father Dante Simon, one of two envoys sent to investigate an alleged cover-up at the Antonio Próvolo Institute for deaf children in Mendoza province, said some cases had been dismissed because the accusers were 'spiteful'.
More than 60 former students have made allegations of sexual abuse at the institute.
Simon told the Herald's reporter Martín Tejerina. 'A few have been dismissed. Because there are people who are spiteful. For example, a girl or a boy falls in love with a priest, and he doesn't respond back. The boy can be very spiteful like a woman can. So, they denounce [the priest]."
The Herald reports that Simon's attempts to meet with victims and family members of victims have been unsuccessful.
One of the victims is reported to have tried to commit suicide after she learned that the envoys were being sent.
According to a lawyer for the victims, Simon's statements caused an emotional crisis because of the implication that some abuse might not have taken place.
The priests named as involved in the scandal include Nicola Corradi and Horacio Corbacho. An altar boy, Jorge Bordón, has also been named along with two administrative employees, José Luis Ojeda and Armando Gómez.
A nun also became involved when it was claimed she forced a girl aged five to wear a nappy in class to hide the bleeding after she was sexually assaulted by a priest.
One of the alleged victims told Associated Press that she witnessed a girl being raped by one priest while another forced her to give him oral sex.
