Serrano Pentinat Had Been Sworn In as Andorra’s Co-Prince Just 21 Days Before the Alleged Rape

The bishop had sworn allegiance to the Andorran Constitution on June 26, 2025, during a solemn ceremony at the General Council, while the alleged assault reportedly occurred in the early hours of July 17 that same year, inside a private apartment in Barcelona.

The timing places the alleged incident within the first few weeks of Serrano Pentinat’s new institutional role, after assuming leadership of the Diocese of Urgell and becoming Andorra’s joint head of state, alongside the French Co-Prince.

The complaint, filed with the Catalan police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra, on October 26, 2026, by a 26-year-old man, concerns a 54-year-old priest associated with a parish in the Noguera region of Catalonia.

According to the newspaper ARA, the seminarian accuses the priest of sexually assaulting him following a night out in Barcelona, where the two had travelled to attend to personal matters.

From the Constitutional Oath to the Rape Allegation

On June 26, 2025, Serrano Pentinat appeared before Andorra’s General Council to swear allegiance to the Principality’s Constitution. 

During his institutional address, the newly appointed Co-Prince pledged to respect and defend Andorra’s democratic values, including freedom, equality, pluralism and the separation of powers.

Less than three weeks later, on July 15, the man who would subsequently file the complaint arrived in Catalonia from Toledo, where he had undertaken religious studies. The accused priest had offered him accommodation and assistance to continue his training.

The following day, both men travelled to Barcelona. According to the complaint, in the early hours of July 17, the priest allegedly restrained the seminarian and penetrated him without his consent, taking advantage of what the complainant describes as a vulnerable state linked to alcohol consumption after the pair had spent the evening together in the city.

The complainant also alleges that he subsequently experienced threats, pressure and controlling behaviour from the priest.

Serrano Pentinat Reportedly Learned of the Allegations More Than a Year Later

Although the alleged sexual assault occurred less than a month after the Episcopal Co-Prince took his constitutional oath, there is no evidence that Serrano Pentinat was aware of the accusation at the time.

According to the complainant’s account published by ARA, he met with the Bishop of Urgell on August 31, 2026, more than thirteen months after the alleged incident.

During that meeting, the man says he personally informed the bishop about the alleged sexual assault, as well as the threats and coercion he attributed to the priest. He claims he received no specific response regarding what measures would be taken.

On October 5, he formally submitted a written notification by certified legal correspondence to the diocesan office responsible for receiving reports of sexual abuse.

He subsequently filed a police complaint with the Mossos d'Esquadra on October 26, more than a year after the alleged assault.

For its part, the Diocese of Urgell maintains that it activated the relevant procedures once the accused priest had been identified and offered support to the complainant.

Diocese Suspends Priest from Pastoral Duties Following Meeting with Complainant

On Monday, November 9, the diocese announced that it had precautionarily suspended the priest from pastoral duties and prohibited him from publicly exercising his priestly ministry while the investigation remains ongoing.

The decision followed an in-person meeting with the complainant, during which he was able to explain his account of the alleged events. The diocese also reiterated its offer of psychological and spiritual support.

The case has placed the Diocese of Urgell at the centre of an investigation into an alleged sexual assault dating back, according to the complaint, to the opening weeks of its bishop’s constitutional mandate as Co-Prince of Andorra.

The coincidence of dates does not mean that Serrano Pentinat knew about the allegations at the time, but it provides context for the chronology of a case that has ultimately resulted in the precautionary removal of a priest from public ministry.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations have not been established in court. The accused priest retains the presumption of innocence.