Italian priest suspended for defending paedophiles

Trento (Italy), Oct 8: An Italian archdiocese has suspended a Catholic priest after he defended paedophilia in a live television interview and blamed victims for “seeking affection”. The archdiocese of Trento suspended Don Gino Flaim from his parish in the city, after Flaim said in live remarks to the La7 TV channel on Tuesday: “I can understand paedophilia.” ”I know what children are like and, unfortunately, there are children who seek affection because they don’t get it at home.” “They may find a priest who, well, gives in, and I can understand this,” Flaim told La7. ”Paedophilia is a sin and like all sins must be accepted,” Flaim said, adding that he “did not have direct experience” of it. Like homosexuality, paedophilia was an “illness” that people “suffered” from, Flaim said.