A brave young woman shook a New Jersey court by testifying against ex-pat Orlando Martínez Chávez, sentenced Friday for the sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl when church leader Lirio de Los Valles in Jersey City.
“I had the opportunity to speak and say what I felt in my heart. I said it because so many years have passed and he had all his power to always keep me quiet. And finally having an opportunity to say everything I had and felt (…) I wanted to take the opportunity and I took the opportunity to say everything and close that chapter in my life, ”said Damaris Sánchez, who was 16 years old when Martínez Chávez abused her.
The young woman is one of three victims of the ex-pat. The first was a 10-year-old girl, attacked in November 2012 and November 2013.
The youngest girl’s case brought Martínez Chávez to trial in September last year, where a jury found him guilty on charges of sexual abuse.
Regarding the other two accusations, the former religious leader pleaded guilty
Based on the Hudson County Attorney’s Office.
Martínez Chávez was sentenced Friday to eight years in jail. The judge estimated the penalty based on the individual sentences, which will be concurrent.
For Damaris, the punishment meted out to the former is minimal compared to what she describes as irreparable damage that destroyed her life and that of other girls.
“At first I closed myself off from many things and gave my parents a lot of problems. There came a point where I no longer wanted to go to church and I didn’t love myself and I had a lot of hatred in my heart, ”she said.
Damaris not only expressed herself in court, she also spoke to the TELEMUNDO 47 cameras because she is convinced that there are more victims.
“To be able to help other girls who have gone through the same thing (…) not to remain silent in this life, in this year, in this generation. We have a voice as women and as victims we can say something, “she added.
The defense attorney said that, although he does not intend to minimize the damage that his client caused to the victims, Martínez Chávez possesses qualities and virtues that will serve as pillars so that he can rebuild his life when the sentence ends.
“Many members of his church called me to explain all the good things he did for them,” said Anthony P. Alfano, advocate for Martínez Chávez.
Last September, Martínez Chávez, 48, was found guilty of sexual abuse and putting the well-being of a minor at risk.
As a result of the case against Martínez, two other victims decided to step forward and denounce the expatriate. One of them was Damaris.
The former religious leader headed the Lirio de los Valles Pentecostal Church, located on Summit Avenue. In that year he abused the girl under 10 years old.
The victim made the complaint five years after the events, after it became known that the pastor had been dismissed from the church for sending material of sexual content to one of the parishioners.
Complaints had also been made about threats to report undocumented immigrants if they testified against them.
The ex-religious will have to serve at least 85% of his sentence in order to qualify for parole.
