Afragola. Father Domenico Silvestro and Brother Nicola Gildi, former parish priests of the Sanctuary of Sant'Antonio in Afragola, have been transferred to two convents in Northern Italy. They were suspended from their duties by the Archbishop of Naples, Father Mimmo Battaglia.
The two friars are accused, respectively, of sexual violence and, in the case of friar Nicola Gildi, also of complicity in aggravated robbery.
Both had been arrested on August 1st together with two entrepreneurs from Afragola, Giuseppe Castaldo and Antonio Di Maso, accused of aggravated robbery in competition.
The crime was physically carried out by two young men, Danilo Bottino and Biagio Cirillo, already known to law enforcement and suspected of belonging to a local criminal clan.
While the entrepreneurs were placed under house arrest, the two young criminals remain in prison in Poggioreale due to their social dangerousness.
Meanwhile, the Curia of Naples may have already initiated the ecclesiastical process for the "a divinis" suspension of Father Mimmo Silvestro, as reported by Il Mattino, a measure that would exclude him from the administration of the sacraments, including the celebration of Mass and confession.
The Curia of Naples has initiated the process of suspension "a divinis"
The investigation, conducted by the Naples North prosecutor's office under the direction of Maria Antonietta Troncone, revealed that the two religious men forced their victims, an Italian and a non-EU citizen, to participate in sexual intercourse and group orgies in exchange for food, financial support and promises of stable, well-paid work.
This situation continued for three years, until the victims turned to a lawyer to defend their rights. The victims' lawyer also requested significant compensation for the abuse they suffered, supported by evidence recorded on the victims' phones, including conversations on apps like "Tinder" and "Amigos."
The situation worsened for the two friars when friar Nicola Gildi He asked for the intervention of the two entrepreneurs, who organized a robbery to steal the cell phones containing the incriminating evidence.
The robbery was only partially successful: one of the cell phones was stolen, but the other was handed over to the authorities by the victims, who identified Father Gildi as the instigator of the crime.
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