A three-year and eight month sentence has been handed down to an Italian priest, known as the “pusher priest”, who used parish funds to fund drug-fuelled homosexual orgies.
Father Francesco Spagnesi was 40 years old. He and his legal staff negotiated the sentence in a plea bargain.
But charges of attempted grievous harm against Spagnesi were dropped, despite the priest allegedly failing to tell the numerous male partners he had unprotected sex with that he was HIV-positive.
Spagnesi is expected to serve part his sentence in a Therapeutic Community, where he’ll receive treatment for his addiction to drugs and be required do community work.
The former priest, who expressed remorse over his actions, will also have to return the approximately EUR 300,000 (£257,000) he stole from his parish.
According to reports, the money was donated by the faithful for the benefit of the most vulnerable in society. However, he took it and turned it into drugs-fueled escapades.
Spagnesi is expected to serve part his sentence in a Therapeutic Community, where he’ll receive treatment for drug addiction and be required to complete community service.
The former priest, who expressed remorse over his actions, will also have to return the approximately EUR 300,000 (£257,000) he stole from his parish. He had been given the money by his parish faithful in order to assist the most vulnerable members of society. But he stole it from the parish and then used it to fund the drug-fueled orgies.
The lawyers for the defendant claim that the priest was on antiretroviral medication and the defendant had maintained his innocence by stating to his friends about his HIV status.
Alessio Regina (40 years old) was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for his complicity with the selling and buying of drug. This plea agreement also included two additional months.
Spagnesi was just 27 years old when he became a priest. He reported that he started using drugs about a decade before becoming a priest.
The Diocese of Prato, in the Region of Tuscany, has removed him from his priestly functions.
Corriere della Sera, an Italian newspaper, said that he wanted to shepherd his faithful and guide them toward the Lord’s ways. But he ended up in perdition and vice.
According to detectives, Spagnesi usually hosted parties with his flatmate, a priest who was a drug dealer, and at most one other person. They would meet through gay dating websites.
However, there are occasions when the weekly parties will involve more participants, such as 20-30.
Spagnesi was first investigated by police after they allegedly discovered his flatmate had brought a litre from The Netherlands of GHB. This drug has often been called a “date-rape” drug because it is used to incapitate victims of sexual assault.
The bottles found at the apartment were thought to have been adapted for use as crack pipes.
Initial claims by the priest that the missing funds had been given to those in greatest need were made, but he eventually admitted to a drug addiction
In recent months, a parish accountant found that £85,000 had been withdrawn from the parish’s bank account – money which police believed was used by Spagnesi to buy drugs.
Spagnesi allegedly began to steal money from the church collection plate, and to solicit funds from wealthy parishioners to help low-income families.
The Times reported that the priest was so successful at drumming up donations that he was soon bringing in hundreds of euros. Some parishioners made individual donations of as much as £1,281.
In 2007, the priest was ordained and became a priest of the parish in 2009.
A new administrator was appointed by Bishop Giovanni Nerbini to the parish. This person has already been helping the faithful deal with shock following the Spagnesi accusations.