Rome, June 15 (IANS/AKI) A 42-year-old priest was arrested on Wednesday in southern Italy on suspicion of sexually abusing a young boy.
The arrest came after the boy told his paediatrician about the abuse and she reported it to police.
Francesco Caramia stood down as parish priest in the port city of Brindisi in Puglia after police began an investigation and searched his parish offices in December last year.
Caramia's alleged victim is now 10 and the suspected abuse took place in 2009-10.
The boy's paediatrician went to police in July last year and investigating magistrates who questioned the boy judged his testimony to be credible.
On Tuesday, a priest was arrested in Italy's northern Lombardy region for allegedly sexually abusing a minor.
Angelo Blanchetti, 55, parish priest in Corna di Darfo near Brescia was held for allegedly abusing an immigrant boy from the age of 12 to 14. He has been suspended from his post.
Blanchetti allegedly threatened the boy that he would go to hell if he told anyone about the abuse.
The Catholic Church has for much of the last 15 years been forced on the defensive by scandals involving priests who are alleged to have abused children and then been transferred to other parishes instead of being handed over to law enforcement.
Pope Francis earlier this month approved measures to sack bishops and other senior churchmen who mishandle child sexual abuse cases and cover them up.
