(w/add) - Case Against Priest Suspected of Human Trafficking Handed Over for Criminal Prosecution

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RIGA, Feb 22 (LETA) - The human trafficking case against Priest Pavels Zeila, dean of the Rezekne-Aglona deanery of the Roman Catholic Church in Latvia, has been handed over for criminal prosecution.

Without mentioning specific names, State Police spokeswoman Simona Gravite informed LETA that the police unit for combating trafficking and pimping has handed over a case against three persons to the Prosecutor General's Office. The men are currently between the ages of 60 to 73.

According to information obtained by LETA, Zeila (born 1945) is one of the men, and is suspected of human trafficking. The other two men are suspected of carrying out sexual crimes.

Police informed that there are two victims in this case - an intellectually disabled man, as well as another man - who was underage at the time of the sexual crimes committed against him.

According to police, the sexual crimes against the victims were carried out on several occasions between 2017 and 2018.

Zeila and one of the men are currently out on bail, while the third remains in custody.

As reported, in August of last year, the police unit for combating trafficking and pimping received information from a nongovernmental organization that several men might have been sexually abusing a defenseless, mentally retarded adult male.

On August 29, 2018, investigators in Riga and Rezekne...