The Gozo Diocese has said that “in the light of the allegations being made about Rev. Joseph Sultana, doubts were raised by the media on how much the Diocese of Gozo had committed itself in favour of the safeguarding of minors.”
In a statement, on social media, it explained that “from the information the Gozo Diocese has on the allegations that were made against Rev. Joseph Sultana within the Diocese of Cairns, Australia, it results that as soon as the Gozo Diocese learned about the case Bishop Mario Grech had prohibited Rev. Joseph Sultana from having any kind of contact with minors, according to the current procedures.”
“Bishop Grech had expressed his readiness to collaborate with the competent Authorities,” the statement read.
“Bishop Grech, while affirming that until then he had received no complaints of the sort about Rev. Joseph Sultana, had asked Bishop James Foley of Cairns to keep him informed about the case,” the Gozo Diocese said.
Bishop Foley had submitted Rev. Joseph Sultana’s case to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome, which in May 2014 declared that those allegations were unfounded.
The Gozo Diocese said that, “This declaration had to be taken into consideration in the same way as the original allegations.
Last Wednesday, Joseph Sultana aged 84 from Xaghra and Joseph Cini aged 70, were arraigned in the Gozo Court accused of rape and corruption of a minor.
They both pleaded not guilty to the charges and were remanded in custody until the next hearing.
The alleged abuse took place several years ago, when the victim was an altar boy, Police said.
Photo: Gozo Diocese