University professor: “Pregnancy through rape is compensation from God, and homosexuality is curable”

A PROFESSOR at a Valencia university has come under fire from politicians and students for allegedly preaching that women had a duty before God to stay with unfaithful or violent husbands, homosexuality was 'curable' and that abortion following rape was 'intolerable'.

Gloria Casanova allegedly told students during a class on Social Doctrine of the Church, part of third-year journalism studies at the Cardenal Herrera University, that becoming pregnant through rape was 'something good which comes out of bad' and was effectively God's way of compensating the woman for her ordeal.

“Even if your husband is unfaithful, the proof of your love is to carry on loving him with tears in your eyes, just as Jesus wept on the Cross,” Professor Casanova reportedly preached to students.

When quizzed by reporters, she said: “To say it was a controversial class is exaggerated. There was lots of lively debate. Let's not take things out of context.”

And the university says: “Listening, debating ideas and forming own opinions is a priority for us, as is cultivating a spirit of discussing and analysing,” to justify the professor's comments.

It has not been confirmed whether the teacher was in fact attempting to indoctrinate the class or whether she was launching controversial comments deliberately so as to provoke debate and reflection on topical and social issues.

But MP for United Left in the Valencian government, Esther López Barceló, called the tutor's statements 'Mediaeval', 'fundamentalist', 'offensive', 'homophobic' and 'sexist', as well as 'very dangerous' and 'challenging social progress made in terms of equality'.