Priest arrested for rape accused of giving alcohol to couple

Father Jucelino de Oliveira, 58 years old, was arrested this Friday (4) in Praia Grande. He is suspected of rape of a young girl.

According to the victim, the religious offered alcoholic drinks to the altar boy couple. She reported that the suspect sexually harassed her while her boyfriend was drowsy.

The temporary arrest was carried out by the Civil Police. The court also ordered precautionary protection measures, such as prohibiting victims from approaching within 300 meters.

The Diocese of Santos informed that it will take the appropriate canonical measures. The priest's defense declared that the arrest is precautionary and does not represent an early sentence.

Father Jucelino de Oliveira, 58 years old, was arrested on suspicion of raping a vulnerable person in Praia Grande, on the coast of São Paulo, after offering alcoholic drinks to a couple of altar boys and committing the crime against a 19-year-old girl. The information is contained in a police report, obtained by g1 this Sunday (6).

According to the document, the young woman and her 18-year-old boyfriend attended a church where the priest had worked for approximately three months. According to the report, the couple began to accompany him to masses held in other churches and were also invited to his house.

According to the record, the woman stated that Jucelino used to offer alcoholic drinks and insisted that they consume alcohol, even after she said she had a problem with drinking. The names of the young people, who are of legal age, will not be disclosed.

In a statement, lawyer João Paulo Silva Rocha, who represents Father Jucelino, stated that the arrest has a "temporary and exclusively precautionary nature", adding that the measure "does not represent a conviction nor does it authorize any early conclusion".

According to the young woman's testimony, on one occasion at the priest's house, he hugged the couple and, during the gesture, touched his genitals to her leg. Then, when the boyfriend had his head down and appeared to be drowsy after drinking alcohol, the man approached again and put his hands inside her blouse and bra.

According to the report, after the episode, the priest asked the two to go to a room to rest. Later, he asked the young woman to drink with him again, but she refused.

The woman also alleged that, on other occasions, the religious man offered gifts and financial help, such as paying for her driver's license and buying materials so she could open a beauty salon. She also stated that the priest even suggested that the couple live in his house.

Jucelino was arrested on Friday night (4), after the Praia Grande Women's Defense Police Station (DDM) executed a warrant issued by the Court.

In addition to the arrest, the Court ordered precautionary measures to protect the victims, including a ban on approaching them closer than 300 meters, on contact by any means and on visiting places regularly frequented by them.

Father Jucelino manages Casa Pime, a space in Praia Grande dedicated to retreats, coexistence, rest and leisure related to the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions (Pime), a missionary institute born in Italy.

He celebrates masses at the São João Batista chapel, located in the Solemar neighborhood, and at the Nossa Senhora Auxiliadora church, located in the Jardim Imperador neighborhood.

In a statement, the Diocese of Santos stated that it was aware of the fulfillment of the order and that it trusts the work of the Justice Department to clarify the facts. "We reaffirm that the appropriate canonical measures will be taken", he added.

The technical defense of Father Jucelino de Oliveira informs that the arrest carried out on Friday night is temporary and exclusively precautionary in nature, within the scope of an investigation that is being carried out under secrecy. The measure does not represent a conviction nor does it authorize any early conclusion about the responsibility of the person being investigated.

To date, the defense has not had full access to police representation, the opinion of the Public Prosecutor's Office and the complete reasons for the decision. At the custody hearing, the arrest was revoked and replaced with precautionary measures already determined, with the defense continuing to adopt the appropriate legal measures.

Father Jucelino complied with the court order without resistance and will remain at the disposal of the authorities. The defense expresses absolute respect for all people involved, without distinction, and trusts that the facts will be investigated with rigor, serenity and compliance with legal guarantees. Therefore, responsibility is requested in the dissemination of information, preserving the dignity of those involved, the presumption of innocence and avoiding any form of public prejudgment.