Prague archbishop launches church inquiry into former priest accused of rape

Prague Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl has announced plans to launch church disciplinary proceedings against former priest and archdiocesan official Antonín Juriga, who has been accused of raping women over a number of years. In a Facebook post on Thursday, Přibyl said the Archdiocese of Prague was also cooperating with police.

The allegations were first reported by Seznam Zprávy, which cited two women who said Juriga had repeatedly raped and abused them over a prolonged period. One of the women alleged that some of the abuse took place on archdiocesan premises.

According to Seznam Zprávy, police are investigating Juriga on suspicion of rape and sexual coercion involving at least four people. Juriga, who now lives in Spain, has been under investigation since last September. Přibyl said he was shocked by the allegations and described such conduct as completely unacceptable.