José Antonio Eguren

In January 2018, Peruvian journalist Pedro Salinas published articles online that compared Eguren to Bishop Juan Barros, who was then the center of the clerical sex abuse scandal in Chile. He wrote that Eguren "knew everything" about abuse committed by the founder of SCV, Luis Fernando Figari, and accused him of participating in illegal real estate transactions. When Salinas refused to retract several statements, Eguren sued him, submitting a criminal complaint alleging aggravated defamation in August 2018.^[5] In October Eguren sued a second journalist, Paola Ugaz, for defamation for statements similar to those made by Salinas.^[6] She later said: "With this complaint, Eguren demonstrates himself as the 'star' student of Figari, who established a culture of abuse and cover-up."^[7] Salinas and Ugaz are co-authors of Half Monks, Half Soldiers (2015),^[8] an exposé of sexual, psychological and physical abuse on the part of the SCV's leadership.^[7] Though the charges carry both fines and prison sentences, Eguren was not seeking more than a verdict in his favor and any fine imposed could be paid to a charity.^[9]

In February 2019, Martin Scheuch, a former SCV member who was testifying in defense of Salinas, described Eguren as "very sentimental and affectionate" in contrast to the rest of the SCV leaders, but lacking "an analytical ability and critical spirit". He said Eguren's behavior was "no different substantially than what other people in positions of authority in the Sodalitium did" and that he witnessed Figari's behavior but lacked the capacity to recognize its severity. He said "either he was unable to see the excesses and disorders that that way of life implied, or he simply ignored them out of fidelity to the institution".^[7]

On 28 February 2019, Amnesty International expressed concern that the legal proceedings were in criminal court. It asked Peruvian authorities to "ensure that the judicial system is not used to harass or discredit critical voices by imposing punishments for the peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression".^[10]

Salinas was found guilty in April 2019, fined $24,000, and given a one-year suspended sentence.^[11] In response, the Peruvian Bishops' Conference expressed support for Salinas, saying that he "sought to clarify the truth" about the SCV. Their statement said that Pope Francis wanted them "to prioritize the compensation and attention to the victims of every type of abuse, condemning any form of complicity" and that he had "praised and thanked the work of the journalists who, through their investigations, contribute to denouncing the abuses, punishing the perpetrators and assisting the victims".^[12][13] The statement called for solidarity with victims of abuse and those who expose it.^[14][15] The case provoked a political discussion about decriminalizing defamation to remove the threat of prison.^[12] Eguren withdrew his complaint against Salinas on 24 April, nullifying Salinas' sentence, which he said had produced "a series of unjustified reactions, including inside of the Church".^[16]

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• "Nuestro Arzobispo: Datos Biográficos". Arzobispado de Piura (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2019-06-18. Retrieved 2019-04-11.