Former priest has acquittal reversed and is convicted of rape in Acre: 'Justice', says victim

Former priest accused of rape in parish in AC is acquitted due to lack of evidence Former priest Fábio Amaro, who had been acquitted of the crime of rape in August last year, had his acquittal reversed and was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison in a new decision issued this Tuesday (18). The information was confirmed to g1 by the Acre Court of Justice (TJ-AC). The report contacted the priest's defense and, until the last update of this report, had not received a response. He will be able to appeal freely and the decision can be appealed. ? Download the g1 app to see AC news in real time and for free ?The crimes tried in the case occurred between 2008 and 2009, when Fábio Amaro was a parish priest in Rio Branco. At the time, the boy was around 16 years old. A second complaint was also made by a young woman who was 18 years old and confessed to the religious man. However, Amaro only responded criminally for the rape against the boy. The case involving the young woman was considered time-barred. Former priest Fábio Amaro was sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison for raping a young man in Acre. He once again criticized the stance of the Diocese of Rio Branco regarding the allegations made by him and which led to the man's conviction. g1 contacted the institution, which said it would evaluate with the legal sector whether it would take a position. "After so much pain, there was finally a recognition by the courts that what I was denouncing was serious. The church itself, instead of welcoming and listening, tried to doubt my word and protect the institution. This was also part of the violence that I had to face", he stated. READ ALSO: Priest is indicted on suspicion of rape in a parish in Acre; he denies it After the sexual abuse scandal, the Diocese of Rio Branco says it created a channel to receive complaints On August 30 last year, the former priest was acquitted due to lack of evidence. However, the Public Ministry of Acre filed an appeal and managed to have the case analyzed once again. In addition to the prison sentence, the decision ordered Amaro to pay R$10,000 to the victim for moral damages Pain and suffering The young man also stated that the conviction does not represent a victory, but an important step in the search for justice. "There is a feeling of justice being done. But not of victory. Because a conviction does not erase what happened, nor does it give back the time and peace that were taken away," he declared. The young man said he intends to continue fighting so that other possible victims are heard. "This decision is an important step, but my fight continues, for the truth, and, mainly, so that other victims do not have to go through the same path of silencing that I went through", he added. Complaints The accusations against Fábio Amaro became public in May 2023, when the Acre Civil Police reported that they had indicted the then priest on suspicion of sexual abuse. At the time, investigations showed that the crimes had occurred when he worked as a priest in Rio Branco. After the repercussion of the case, the Public Ministry of Acre (M-AC) filed a complaint against the former priest for the crime of rape against a minor under 18 years of age. The complaint was received by the 2nd Children's Court in November of that year and, in December, he became a defendant. In August 2025, the 2nd Children's Court of Rio Branco acquitted Amaro due to lack of evidence. The sentence considered that the witnesses' information was superficial and there were no documents showing that the victim suffered any effects from the crime, at the time or after the events. Diocese demanded resignation The Diocese of Rio Branco said, at the time of the allegations, that as soon as it became aware of the allegations against the priest, it asked for his removal. Bishop Dom Joaquín Pertiñez, who was responsible for the Diocese at the time, explained that, upon learning of the cases, he confronted the priest, who confirmed the crimes, and then the suspect was warned that he would have to resign or be excommunicated. In testimony at the time, the former priest denied knowing the victims and also claimed to be unaware of the agreement he made with Bishop Dom Joaquín Pertiñez. According to the bishop, the priest decided to resign and justify that he needed to change state due to his father's death. Regarding the case not reaching the Civil Police at the time, Dom Joaquim explained that there is a Vatican protocol that instructs victims to write the complaint in their own handwriting in a letter so that it can be sent to the police. According to the religious man, the victims did not want to pursue the case at the time. Review Acre’s news programs