There are credible and documented accusations against Robert Prevost, now the Catholic Pope Leo XIV, for alleged cover-up of sexual abuse of minors, both in the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, and in the diocese of Chicago, in the United States.
Victim testimonies, news reports, and formal complaints to the Vatican support the allegations. Accusations in the US, although less detailed, also come from reliable sources such as the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
The cover-up of cases of sexual abuse of minors by priests during his ecclesiastical career includes his time as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru (2014-2023), and as superior of the Augustinian order in the United States.
Given the context of a recent conclave and the sensitivity of the issue, the accusations have gained traction in the media and on social media. The lack of transparency in ecclesiastical processes and the polarization between conservative and progressive factions complicate an objective assessment of the facts.
In April 2022, three women, identified as Ana María Quispe and her sisters, reported to the Prevost of sexual abuse committed by priests Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzáles and Ricardo Yesquén Paiva when they were minors (9, 11, and 14 years old) between 1997 and 2007. According to the victims, the Prevost failed to open an adequate canonical investigation, failed to apply effective precautionary measures, and minimized the cases, sending an insufficient file to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which closed the case in 2023 due to statutes of limitations and lack of evidence.
SNAP filed a complaint against Prevost in 2025 with the Vatican, alleging that, as superior of the Augustinians, he allowed Father James Ray, accused of 13 cases of child sexual abuse, to remain in ministry involving minors without informing civil authorities.
