The lawyer Valeria Cabrera Merinorepresentative of the complainants in the case against the priest Marco Agüero Vidal, announced that he will request the Public Ministry the preventive detention of the religious, who remains in police custody while the research for alleged improper touching five women during the sacrament of confession. The seven-day preliminary detention issued by the prosecutor’s office expires this Thursday, so the defense of the victims seeks to avoid the release of the accused while the errands.
In statements collected by RPP, Cabrera Merino explained that the precautionary measure It is a priority for the complaining party: “Pretrial detention is an objective that we also have planned and, furthermore, that it be followed, with the corresponding process. But, obviously, ensuring that there is also a preventive detention. Still, as I tell you, we have to continue with the procedures, but it is definitely an objective that we have.”
He Public Ministry has also requested the seizure of telephone equipment of the priest under investigation. Three of the complainants have already declared in Gesell camera and the other two carry out the same procedure this Monday, March 9.
Meanwhile, Aguero Vidal remains in the Criminal Investigation Department (Depincri) from San Borja, where he was transferred after his arrest on Thursday, March 5.
After the case became publicly known and to try to contain the scandal, andl Archbishopric of Lima published a statement in which it recounts the steps taken since receiving the first formal complaint against the priest. The doccupancy points out that on December 11, 2025, an official of the Archdiocesan Curia received a letter signed by several faithful, with four annexes and a total of 29 pages, where he accused Aguero Vidal of problematic behaviors, including “non-consensual touching” during the context of the confession against three people, one of them a minor.
The complaint was referred to the Listening Commission of the archdiocese, in compliance with the protocols established for cases of abuse in the Church. The statement details that, despite the administrative closure of the Curia Due to the Christmas holidays, on December 26, the complaint was transmitted to the Ordinary of Lima, who ordered a first verisimilitude trial and ordered an investigation, in addition to imposing a formal criminal remedy that same day. Before traveling to Rome On January 4, 2026, Cardinal Carlos Castillo He delegated the preliminary investigation to a collaborator, following the provisions of canon law.
According to the text of Archbishopricafter the return of archbishop to Lima On February 24, precautionary measures on Agüero Vidal were reinforced. The Church He expressed his solidarity with the victims and his willingness to collaborate with the state judicial authorities to clarify the facts.
As recalled, the investigation against Aguero Vidal It was formally started after five young people, three of them minorsthey will report him for inappropriate touching during the sacrament of confession, in the parish Our Lady of Joylocated in the Lima district of San Borja.
The preliminary arrest of the priest was requested by the Prosecutor’s Office Specialized in Violence against Women to avoid risk of flight and ensure the development of the proceedings. The arrest occurred on Thursday, March 5, when Agüero Vidal was transferred to the Depincri of San Borja. The parents of some complainants had gone to the parish days before to demand explanations.
As part of the investigation, the prosecution required that all complainants go through Gesell camera and psychological tests, in addition to requesting an advance test before the First Preparatory Investigation Courtin order to secure testimonies before an eventual trial.
The complainants’ lawyer questioned the version presented by the Archbishopric of Lima about the actions taken after receiving the complaint.
As noted Valeria Cabrera Merino to Peru 21, the information disseminated by the ecclesiastical institution would not fully reflect what happened in the handling of the case.
“The information that the Archbishopric has provided is inaccurate. The act that completely refutes their statement is that the father just left the parish as a result of this scandal, when they had known about it since last year,” he stated.
The lawyer’s statements contradict the official explanation of the Archbishopric, which maintains that the annexes with testimonies from the alleged victims would not have been sent to all the recipients of the initial complaint.
Meanwhile, the investigation continues both judicially and at the canonical level. The authorities seek to determine if there were acts of sexual abuse and establish the corresponding responsibilities.
