Vatican Publishes Procedures for Sex Abuse Cases
Fending off accusations that it covered up abuse and obstructed justice, the Vatican on Monday spelled out for the first time that it now strongly urges bishops to report abuse cases to civil authorities if required by local law.
Victims of abuse by priests have long argued that the Vatican’s rules requiring confidentiality and the avoidance of scandal were often tantamount to obstructing civil justice, an argument that has contributed to the Catholic Church’s paying more than $2 billion in abuse settlements in the United States alone in the past decade.
On Monday, the Vatican posted online for the first time a guide to the procedures it requires bishops to follow in abuse cases. It says that in the preliminary stages of any investigation into alleged abuse, “civil law concerning reporting of crimes to the appropriate authorities should always be followed.”
And they are very sorry (they got cought).
posted on April 13, 2010report this as inappropriate
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