wfn.org | Adventists Declared Innocent of Church Desecration Charges

["Christian B. Schäffler" <APD_Info_Schweiz@compuserve.com>]

August 13, 1999
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland

Cape Verde: 
Adventists Declared Innocent of Church Desecration Charges

Cape Verde/APD/ANN     Three Seventh-day Adventist Church 
members in the Cape Verde islands charged by police with 
vandalizing and desecrating several Catholic churches are now free 
after a long jail ordeal.

Brought to trial after being held in prison for more than a year, José 
Maria Monteiro Rodrigues, Jorge Adalberto Ramos Tavares, and 
Benvindo da Cruz Ramos were found innocent of all charges on July 
26. The presiding judge, Dr. Helena Barreto, in an hour-long verdict, 
said that no proof had been presented by the prosecution and 
added "the only crime which the three Adventists had committed, if 
that constitutes a crime, was to be Seventh-day Adventists."

The judge then commended the Adventists for their conduct and 
behavior during the trial, as well as the church members who had 
attended all the sessions of the trial. She emphasized that never in 
her career as a magistrate had she presided over a case with such 
positive characteristics. She also added that she did not normally 
make such comments, but in this case her conviction of the 
innocence of the accused was so strong she felt it was important to 
declare this publicly. 

"Her words were like a gospel message to our three brothers to 
encourage them to take positive lessons from this experience," 
commented Felix Monteiro, leader of the Adventist Church in Cape 
Verde.

At the conclusion of the trial, church members sang their praises 
before the court.

"This was a very emotional moment," said Monteiro. "We then 
moved to the central church and held a service of thanksgiving, 
attended by several judges and civic leaders. We want to thank the 
members of the world church for all their prayers and the Lord for 
answering these prayers." [98/12/01]