Overview

• On July 30, the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office dismissed the misdemeanor battery charge against Father Carlos Martins and confirmed the case is closed with no finding of wrongdoing.
• The January charge stemmed from a November 2024 relic exposition at Queen of Apostles Parish in Joliet, where a minor alleged Martins placed her hair in his mouth and ‘growled’ at attendees.
• Freedom of Information Act records revealed the Joliet Police Department submitted only an officer’s summary without body-cam footage, recordings or statements from independent witnesses.
• A December 2024 Illinois Attorney General report flagged patterns of misconduct and record-keeping failures within the Joliet Police Department’s investigative procedures.
• Martins, who paused his Vatican-sponsored relic tour during the legal proceedings, has been publicly vindicated and is preparing to resume his ministry and nationwide outreach.