A 74-year-old Spanish cardinal suspends himself following accusations of sexual assault involving adult women, according to reports from multiple outlets. The allegations come as part of an investigation referenced by French news agency reports, which say that at least five women accuse the cardinal of sexual assault. The cardinal, identified as Lopez Romero in a statement carried by Vatican News, says he is “accused of inappropriate behaviour toward adult women.” In his statement, he indicates that the matter has led the Catholic Church to open a preliminary investigation. The suspension is presented as a church response while the allegations are reviewed. Sources do not provide additional details about the accusations’ timelines or locations, nor do they indicate any formal outcome of the preliminary investigation. The reports frame the development as an internal Church process alongside the public allegations, with the cardinal denying wrongdoing in the sense of contesting the character of the conduct described, while the investigation proceeds.