Pope wants truth in Dominican Republic landmark pedophilia case: AP

Vatican City.- Pope Francis on Wednesday said the truth must prevail in the case of Polish bishop Jozef Wesolowski, former Envoy in Dominican Republic, now under house arrest in the Vatican, charged with sexually abusing boys in the Caribbean country, AP reports.

Dominican Republic Justice minister Francisco Dominguez made the statement after meeting with the Pope in a public audience Wednesday. "He (Francis) expressed the importance for the truth to always prevail and for the judicial institutions of the two states to proceed freely within the framework of the norms."

In the landmark case, the Vatican’s judicial authorities in June concluded that Wesolowski, 66, is guilty of sexually abusing children and defrocked him. He was the Pope’s envoy in Dominican Republic from 2008 until he was whisked out in August last year.

Santiago prosecutor Luisa Liranzo and other Dominican officials accompanied Domínguez in the meeting with the Pontiff.