U.N. report on Catholic Church draws hard line on child sexual abuse

U.N. report on Catholic Church draws hard line on child sexual abuse
U.N. report on Catholic Church draws hard line on child sexual abuse

U.N. report on Catholic Church draws hard line on child sexual abuse

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The U.N.Com­mit­tee on the Rights of the Child announced its findings from a report on Vat­ic­an policies to­ward child sexu­al ab­use. The report declared that the Vatican should take steps to “immediately remove” clergy who are proven to be or suspected as child abusers. The U.N. com­mit­tee also ex­pressed deep con­cern, “that the Holy See has not ac­know­ledged the ex­tent of the crimes com­mit­ted, has not taken the ne­ces­sary meas­ures to ad­dress…sexu­al ab­use and to pro­tect chil­dren, and has ad­op­ted prac­tices which have led to the con­tinu­ation of the ab­use.” The Vatican responded that the report was beyond the U.N. mandate and “prejudiced.” Doug Cassel from the University of Notre Dame Law School will tell us how he thinks the report will impact Vatican policies, if at all. Barbara Blaine, the founder and president of the Survivor’s Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) explains why victims of sexual abuse felt it was necessary to bring their case to the United Nations. (AP PhotoAlessandra Tarantino)