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Vatican policies 'allowed priests to rape children' - UN

W E D N E S D AY 05 FEBRUARY 0!" A scathin# UN report calls on the Vatican to $i%%ediatel& re%o'e$ all cler#& (nown or s)spected o* child a+)se, and sa&s the ch)rch p)t its rep)tation +e*ore the protection o* children-

Photo: A mass takes place behind St Peter's statue, in the Vatican City's St Peter's Square The United Nations UN! has demanded immediate action "rom the Catholic Church's rulin# o""icials, and "ound that policies adopted by the Vatican allo$ed priests to se%ually abuse thousands o" children, and helped co&er up $idespread abuse' The UN $atchdo# "or children's ri#hts called "or all cler#y $ho are kno$n or suspected child abusers to be immediately handed o&er to ci&il authorities'

The &erdict o" the Vatican's handlin# o" se% abuse alle#ations is the most damnin# yet, and "ollo$s the public #rillin# o" Vatican o""icials last month' The de&astatin# report also denounced the (oly See"or its policies on homose%uality, abortion and contraception' .he Vatican has adopted policies and practices which ha'e led to the contin)ation o* the a+)se +& and the i%p)nit& o* the perpetrators ) UN *n response to the report, the Vatican said that the Catholic Church $as committed to protectin# children "rom abuse' *t added that the UN $as inter"erin# $ith church teachin# on homose%uality and contraception, but that it $ould submit the report to a +thorou#h study and e%amination+' Pope ,rancis set up a commission to deal $ith child abuse in the church in -ecember' (o$e&er the UN has said that Vatican's archi&e o" se%ual abuse o" tens o" thousands o" children should also be handed o&er to authorities, so that the culprits could be held accountable' UN '#ra'el& concerned' The blunt report said: +The committee is #ra&ely concerned that the (oly See has not ackno$led#ed the e%tent o" the crimes committed, has not taken the necessary measures to address cases o" child se%ual abuse and to protect children, and has adopted policies and practices $hich ha&e led to the continuation o" the abuse by and the impunity o" the perpetrators'+ The Catholic Church is accused by the UN o" systematic co&er)up' The report "ound that abusers had been mo&ed "rom parish to parish or other countries +in an attempt to co&er)up such crimes'+ +-ue to a code o" silence imposed on all members o" the cler#y under penalty o" e%communication, cases o" child se%ual abuse ha&e hardly e&er

been reported to the la$ en"orcement authorities in the countries $here such crimes occurred,+ the UN committee said' Victi%s 'owed co%pensation' *t is also accused o" "ailin# to take measures to pre&ent a repeat o" cases such as *reland's .a#dalene laundries scandal, $here #irls $ere kept in conditions o" "orced labour' The UN committee on the /i#hts o" the Child e%pressed concern that there had no been action taken to in&esti#ate $hat had happened there until 0112 at the hands o" the Catholic Sisters, $hich included +inhuman, cruel and de#radin# treatment+ and +physical and se%ual abuse+' The UN called "or an internal in&esti#ation o" the laundries and similar institutions so that the &ictims and their "amilies could recei&e +"ull compensation+, and that those responsible could be prosecuted' At a public session in -ecember last year, the committee pushed Vatican dele#ates to re&eal the scope o" the decades)lon# se%ual abuse o" minors by /oman Catholic priests that Pope ,rancis called +the shame o" the Church+' The (oly See's dele#ation $as called to ans$er questions "rom an international ri#hts panel "or the "irst time since the scandals broke more than t$o decades a#o' 3""icials denied alle#ations o" a Vatican co&er)up and said it had set clear #uidelines to protect children "rom predator priests' Posted by Thavam

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