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According to his own testimony, he wanted to help young people with massages to combat stress: The priest accused of various sexual offenses testified in court in Lugano on Thursday. (archive image)
Keystone
He had suffered from "cognitive distortions", the priest accused of several sexual offenses told the Ticino Cantonal Criminal Court in Lugano on Thursday. Today he knows that he should not have massaged the young people.
"When I think back to what happened back then, I realize that I was looking for a massage myself," the 56-year-old told the jury. He was "emotionally confused". One of the youths had seen him as a father figure.
The priest, who taught at numerous secondary schools in Ticino, is alleged to have sexually assaulted nine people, four of whom were minors. The man has been serving an early sentence for nine months.
14.08.2025, 10:17
