Dominican press wins landmark case against Catholic Church

Santo Domingo.-A National District judge on Thursday ruled against Catholic priest Manuel Ruiz who charged fourprominent journalists slander through several media, in a landmark case.

For thethird time 8th Penal Chamber judge Teofilo Andujar ruled against Ruiz,on a complaint filed against journalists Marino Zapete, Altagracia Salazar, DianaLora and Franklin Guerrero and community activist Juan Tomas Dottin Reyes, onlack of evidence.

Some of theprelate’s charges against the journalists stem from alleged comments on childrape committed by former Vatican envoy Jozeph Wesolowski in Santo Domingo, andbe the priest Wojciech Waldemar Gil (padre Alberto), in the town Juncalito.

Gil was sentencedto 7 years in a Poland prison, whereas Wesolowski was found dead in Rome whileawaiting trial.

Ruiz, whosaid he’ll appeal, is the spokesman for the Dominican Episcopal Conference.