MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chilean Navy officers cleared of presumed death of British priest in 1973

Michael Woodward in September 1973, before disappearing in the naval hospital

A Valparaiso court of appeals confirmed Friday that a stay of proceedings had been declared against 19 former Chilean Navy and police officers linked to the disappearance and presumed death of Chilean-British priest Michael Woodward in September 1973.

The decision, described as “aberrant” by plaintiff attorney Boris Paredes, followed the dismissal of charges against the officers in mid-July.

“I have never seen anything like this,” added Paredes. “I think it’s very troubling that a judge who is not aware of the background of this case seeks to undermine this investigation.”

The decision was made by Justices Patricio Martínez, Hugo Fuenzalida and lawyer Alberto Balbontín, who ruled there were insufficient grounds to link the 19 retired officers to the disappearance of Woodward.

The 19 officers were arrested in 2008 with much of the credit going to independent research conducted by Woodward’s surviving sister, Patricia Bennett.

Paredes was reported on Friday to be looking into appealing the Valparaiso Court’s decision.

In mid-September 1973, Michael Woodward, a priest in the leftist liberation-theology tradition, returned from Santiago to his home in Cerro Placeres, just days after the Sept. 11 coup d’état led by Gen. Augusto Pinochet.

According to Judge Miranda, he was greeted by marines, arrested without warrant, held at one of the makeshift torture and detention centres set up at Federico Santa Maria University, and later transferred to the Naval War Academy.

From the academy, Woodward was transferred to the naval training vessel Esmeralda, which also functioned as a makeshift interrogation and torture centre. Onboard, he underwent a physical examination by a doctor. From there, the priest was transferred to the naval hospital, where he is believed to have died.

By Ivan Ebergenyi – The Santiago Times