Defense Lawyers Challenge Prosecution’s Equating of La Luz del Mundo Church with Criminal Enterprise in New York Case

Naasón Joaquín Amaga, the leader of the La Luz del Mundo (LLDM) church, is currently under preventive detention at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center. His legal team has raised concerns about the broader implications of his prosecution, questioning whether the charges against him and his ancestors equate the LLDM with a criminal enterprise. They argue that similar practices and beliefs, which they claim also exist in the Catholic Church, are being used to justify the legal actions against the LLDM.

In a letter to Judge Loretta Preska, the defense requested access to case materials in preparation for a motion filed in July. They criticized prosecutors for equating the LLDM with a criminal organization, based on practices and beliefs that also occur in Catholicism. The judge ordered the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (FGR) to reopen the case against Amaga, noting the lack of cooperation from the U.S. government regarding sexual encounters described as “nearness to God.”

The defense letter emphasized that the government cannot claim the entire Catholic Church’s purpose has been to procure sexual partners for Amaga, his father, and grandfather. They argued this would be equivalent to accusing the Catholic Church of a two-thousand-year criminal conspiracy aimed at using altar boys as victims through the manipulation of doctrines. The letter acknowledges that sexual encounters have occurred, as testified by several victims, but asserts these meetings were conducted within the religious parameters and beliefs of the LLDM.

The defense also noted that several victims, all of legal age, described these encounters as a way to be “nearer to God.” They argue this is a belief rooted in the religious faith of adults and not a form of coercion or unlawful spiritual manipulation. The defense warns that prosecutors may have overstepped in their interpretation of the law by criminalizing a belief and activity valid within a religious community. They insist that individual errors should be addressed separately, rather than criminalizing the entire LLDM while other churches face different treatment.

The Church of La Luz del Mundo has a long history of controversies, including allegations of abuse. The defense’s arguments highlight the complex interplay between religious belief and legal accountability, urging a distinction between individual actions and institutional practices. The case continues to unfold, with significant implications for how religious communities are treated under the law.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Spanish)