The Spanish priest Custodio Ballester, coadjutor in the parish of San Sebastián de Badalona and belonging to the Archdiocese of Barcelona, faces this Wednesday October 1 at the Provincial Court of Málaga a trial in which the Prosecution, headed by María Teresa Verdugo, requests three years in prison for an alleged hate crime against Muslims.
The case dates back to 2017, when the association Musulmanes contra la Islamofobia reported him for statements made on the program La Ratonera Digital, in which the priest stated that “radical Islam wants to destroy Western civilization, that in the mosques the extermination of the infidel is preached, and that illegal immigration ends up carrying out a population replacement in Europe.” The prosecution considered that these comments incited hatred and added them to the file along with a 2016 article titled El imposible diálogo con el Islam.
In the same proceedings, the priest Jesús Calvo and the layman Armando Robles are also charged, who participated in the discussion alongside Ballester; for Robles, the Prosecution requests four years in prison and a fine of 3,000 euros.
Statements during 8 years of waiting
Over these 8 years, Ballester has defended his writing and statements by arguing that they were presented out of context. In statements collected by Invadidos, the priest stated that:
«My intention was to provide a criterion so that people could judge… I consider myself a respectful person. I respect Muslims and ask that they also respect me».
In a message published by HazteOir.org in 2020, Father Ballester insisted that he directed his criticism at radical Islam, not at the entirety of Muslims, and stated that in his text he expressly called for renouncing violence. He also denounced a «double standard» in the application of hate laws.
In one of his most recent interviews published in El Mundo, Ballester described the accusation as a “nonsense” and criticized the disproportion of the penalties:
“A few years ago in Valencia, an Algerian man assaulted two girls who were kissing on the street. The prosecutor requested 18 months in prison. For us, just for speaking, he requests three years; it seems absurd to me.”.
Reactions and support campaign
The foundation Abogados Cristianos has also taken a stance in the case, launching a public campaign to request the withdrawal of the accusation. In its statement, the entity described the situation as “surreal”, emphasizing that while numerous attacks on the Church go unpunished, Father Ballester faces the possibility of prison for his criticisms of radical Islam.
“If we tolerate this injustice being committed against Father Custodio, we will be setting a fatal precedent”
The legal and social debate
The oral trial is scheduled for this Wednesday at the Provincial Court of Málaga. The hearing will have to decide whether the expressions made by the accused constitute a hate crime under the Penal Code or whether they are protected by freedom of expression.
The process against Father Custodio Ballester, accompanied in the dock by Father Jesús Calvo and Armando Robles, has opened a wide debate. The reactions contrast between those who see in this trial a defense of coexistence and those who interpret it as an attempt to silence voices critical of radical Islamism, while attacks on the Christian faith continue with impunity.