(OSV News) — A Peruvian bishop stepped down from his role as secretary general of the Peruvian bishops’ conference after a Spanish Catholic news site published a complaint against him detailing accusations of alleged sexual and psychological abuse.
In a statement posted April 9 on X, the bishops’ conference said that in light of the report published by InfoVaticana, Bishop Antonio Santasiero Rosa of Huacho requested to step aside from his role “as an act of responsibility with the institutional mission in order to dedicate himself to clarifying the truth.” He said he “categorically” denies the allegations.
‘Efforts to clarify accusations’
The Peruvian bishops’ conference “is making all necessary efforts to clarify the accusations, acting in accordance with established protocols and current legislation, both canonical and civil,” the statement read.
According to InfoVaticana, the complaint against Bishop Santasiero, which the media said was forwarded to Archbishop Paolo Rocco Gualtieri, apostolic nuncio of Peru, and Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, featured testimonies from two alleged victims, one of whom was a priest.
Following the article’s release, Bishop Santarsiero responded to InfoVaticana’s request for comment, saying that he was not informed nor notified of the accusations against him and was only made aware of it after the article was published.
Bishop’s request to news site for documents
Bishop Santasiero denied the allegations and also requested that InfoVaticana send him a copy of the documents in their possession “so that I can take note and take legal action, if that is the case.”
“I categorically deny the conduct attributed to me, the accusations of sexual abuse and psychological mistreatment that you indicate in your communication, since these totally contradict my trajectory and principles as a priest and bishop, in which I have always acted with rectitude, respect, and pastoral commitment,” the bishop wrote.
The first alleged victim, identified as D., alleged that the Peruvian bishop abused him when he was a minor shortly after enrolling in the minor seminary of Huacho. The alleged victim accused the bishop of inappropriate touching and using “pressure mechanisms linked to promises of scholarships and employment in diocesan companies.”
“It was traumatizing,” the alleged victim said, according to InfoVaticana.
Testimony from a priest
The complaint included testimony from a priest identified as Father B., who served as Bishop Santasiero’s personal assistant in the early years of his episcopate.
According to the priest, the bishop allegedly exerted “psychological manipulation” and “non-consensual” behaviors that were “sexually explicit.”
The priest also stated that in November 2024, he sent a report on his allegations of abuse to then-Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, who at the time served as prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops.
The Spanish media outlet claimed Father B. then went to Rome in December 2025 to deliver the same report to “the Holy Father’’s office.” However, Father B. said he did not receive a response. The priest did not specify if the report was delivered to the Prefecture of the Papal Household or another Vatican office.
The alleged victim also said that “our Pope Leo XIV states that it is important to listen to victims of sexual abuse” and asked to be listened to by the pontiff.
Junno Arocho Esteves is an international correspondent for OSV News. Follow him on X @jae_journalist.
