Marcelino de Andrés, previously serving as the chaplain at Highlands El Encinar School in Madrid, has been hit with yet another accusation of sexual assault, adding to a growing list of complaints against him. The latest allegation, made by a student, brings the total to eight since his arrest on March 6. His detention followed a family's alarmed approach to the police after their daughter shared her troubling experience. In less than 24 hours, five additional complaints emerged, and over the past two months, three more have been filed, with the most recent one surfacing this Friday.

In a somber address, Marilú Álvarez, the school's director, communicated the emergence of a new case involving a primary school student who claims to have suffered sexual aggression at the hands of the former chaplain. Álvarez stated, "I am deeply saddened to inform everyone that today we have learned of another student's claim of sexual assault by the ex-chaplain. I have reported this new information to the police authorities investigating the case and have spoken to the student's family. We are in close contact to provide them with all necessary support."

Álvarez explained that the revelation of the recent cases was influenced by a voluntary abuse prevention workshop held at the school this week, aimed at equipping students with tools to identify sexual violence. This initiative seems to have encouraged more students to come forward with their experiences.

Detectives from the Unit of Family and Woman's Assistance (UFAM) have taken statements from the families involved and reviewed surveillance footage from the school. These recordings show De Andrés leading several minors to a secluded area of the playground without cameras, which the students identified as a "secret place" shared between them and the chaplain. Several students are scheduled to testify next week in settings specifically adapted for vulnerable victims.

Marcelino de Andrés had close ties with Marcial Maciel, the notorious founder and recognized pedophile of the Legionaries of Christ, serving as his personal secretary during Maciel's final years before his expulsion from the church.