Accusations Against Robert Prevost for Alleged Cover-Up of Sexual Abuse in Peru

• Robert Prevost was named Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025.
• He faced accusations in a Peruvian diocese.
• The local Church denied the allegations.

The appointment of Cardinal Robert Prevost as the new Pope Leo XIV brings his past trajectory under scrutiny.

During his tenure as bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, he faced accusations of allegedly covering up sexual abuse involving three women.

The claims involved alleged mismanagement and supposed concealment of wrongdoing by priests.

The accusations relate to sexual abuse cases involving three victims.

Details About the Accusations of Alleged Cover-Up by Robert Prevost

Here’s a look at the life and career of Pope Leo XIV: family, education, and more https://t.co/j0ib8GHX
— CNN en Español (@CNNEE) May 8, 2025

According to a letter, victims reported the abuse to Robert Prevost in April 2022.

The alleged abuses were said to have been committed by priests Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzales and Ricardo Yesquén Paiva.

Despite being informed, no preliminary investigation was reportedly conducted during Robert Prevost’s tenure, according to

No precautionary measures were said to have been taken against the accused clergy at that time.

The Diocese’s Version of Events

The Diocese of Chiclayo issued an official statement rejecting the allegations.

According to the Church’s version, precautionary measures were indeed taken when the complaint was received in 2022.

The bishop removed priest Eleuterio Vásquez from his duties and banned him from public ministry.

The Diocese sent the resulting file from the preliminary investigation to the Vatican.

The Case Regarding the Accusations

#CatholicChurch Women’s organizations Sinchi Warmi, Educare, Sinergia Femenina, Ella Cletea, and ADECA Mujer of Cajamarca demand the removal of priest Eleuterio Vásquez over allegations of sexual abuse against minors. pic.twitter.com/l3ci8dg6zl
— 🇵🇪 Wayka (@WaykaPeru) December 14, 2023

The file was sent to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith for further review.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office closed the case in 2023, citing that the allegations had passed the statute of limitations, according to Milenio sources.

The Prosecutor’s Office sent the decision to the Dicastery as additional documentation.

The Diocese emphasized that priest Vásquez never admitted guilt to Robert Prevost.

The Voices of the Victims

A report by Cuarto Poder revealed that three women have accused Cardinal Robert Prevost, recently elected Pope, of having covered up child sexual abuse cases during his time as bishop in Chiclayo, Peru.
According to the report, the victims denounced a priest who admitted… pic.twitter.com/1ith9vwydb

— BN (@BNPeriodismo) May 8, 2025

In their letters, the victims wrote that their rights had been “violated.”

They reported feeling re-victimized by the Church hierarchy in Peru.

They accused senior clergy of allegedly covering up the original offenses.

They were also reportedly denied access to the investigation file, according to the complaints.

Impact of the Alleged Cover-Up Accusations Against Robert Prevost

The investigation was formally launched in November 2023.

This took place under the leadership of Bishop Guillermo Cornejo Monzón, Prevost’s successor.

Peruvian journalist Pedro Salinas claimed that the accusations against Prevost are “completely false.”

The accusations of a possible cover-up by Robert Prevost are resurfacing now following his installation as Pope Leo XIV.

His appointment as the new pontiff has placed his past under intense international scrutiny.