A Romanian bishop was finally convicted of rape, exposing years of sexual abuse and extortion within an Orthodox seminary, despite institutional efforts to silence the scandal.
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Two religious men, Corneliu Onilă and Sebastian Jitaru, were finally convicted by the Romanian justice system for sexual abuse and extortion at an Orthodox seminary. The abuse reportedly involved young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, with the initial acts dating back to 2006. The scandal was initially covered up by the Church, which used promotions and institutional power to silence the matter. When videos of the abuse leaked, Onilă initially pressed charges for extortion, but the justice system only addressed the extortion aspect, leaving the sexual abuse charges aside. It took investigative journalism to force the issue. Five years later, Onilă was sentenced to eight years in prison, marking the first time a bishop in Romanian history has been convicted of rape. Jitaru was sentenced to fifteen years. The sentences were considered relatively light for the alleged crimes. Furthermore, the Church was ordered to pay 170,000 euros in moral damages to the victims, although the Church currently refuses to pay. Despite the convictions, the Church has shown little change, continuing to display portraits of Onilă in various locations and allowing him to retain his housing and salary after resigning his bishopric.
