VATICAN CITY/FILE: Two victim groups call for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Pope Benedict XVI for allowing child sex abuse by priests

Record ID: 334591

  • Title: VATICAN CITY/FILE: Two victim groups call for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Pope Benedict XVI for allowing child sex abuse by priests
  • Date: 15th September 2011
  • Summary: THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
  • Embargoed: 30th September 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Vatican City State
  • Country: Vatican City State
  • Topics: Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVACSHX914S12GX0WSXQU0YE0SER
  • Story Text: Some Catholics at the Vatican said on Wednesday (September 14) any person who is connected to sexual abuse within the clergy is not above the law and could be tried.
    Those who gathered to hear the Pope speak at the Vatican, were reacting to news that victims of sexual abuse by the clergy have asked the International Criminal Court to investigate Pope Benedict and three Vatican officials for allowing the rape and sexual abuse of children.
    "They're not above the law, no one is above the law", British citizen Christine Bullock, from Manchester, told Reuters.
    "I'm not saying that the pope or any of his cardinals are personally involved, but anyone who is seen to be committing those types of crimes needs to be brought to justice, no matter who they are, and that's worldwide, not just for the pope, anybody."
    The New York-based rights group Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and another group, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), filed a complaint with the ICC alleging that Vatican officials committed crimes against humanity because they tolerated and enabled sex crimes.
    But it seems unlikely that the ICC, the world's first permanent war crimes court, could take on such a case.
    Many of the crimes occurred before 2002, when the ICC was set up, which puts them outside the court's remit, while the Vatican itself has not signed up to the court's jurisdiction.
    The Catholic Church has been rocked by a series of sexual abuse scandals and allegations of cover-up in Europe and the United States in recent years.
    But this is the first time the sexual abuse scandal has been brought to an international jurisdiction, marking a new approach by victims and rights groups.
    The Vatican has yet to make any official comment on the issue.
    "Everybody has a right to express what they feel, but I think in this case (accusations) don't have any ground, because I don't think the pope had precise knowledge of what was happening", said Father Edwin, a priest from El Salavdor, while queuing to attend the pope's weekly General Audience. "But we all have the right to express what we think", he said.
    While the Vatican has not signed up to the ICC, countries such as Italy, the Netherlands and Germany have done so, which means their citizens are subject to ICC jurisdiction.
    Pope Benedict is German-born and since a pope retains his nationality when he also takes on Vatican nationality, this could potentially expose him to ICC prosecution.
    "First of all I think that these abuse victims are doing it as a symbolic gesture, and I think that they realise it too. the possibility that the pope or some high ranking Vatican officials will ever be dragged in front of the International Criminal Court is extremely remote, virtually impossible. So it's mostly a symbolic thing", said Philip Pullella, Reuters Vatican correspondent.
    "As long as victims of abuse continue to file charges either locally or internationally as in this case, still gives the Vatican a black eye. This is something they are trying to put behind them, but it looks like it is virtually impossible to put this scandal behind the Church", he said.
    The ICC has investigated crimes including genocide, murder, conscription of child soldiers and rape, mostly in Africa. In June, it issued an arrest warrant for Libya's Muammar Gaddafi.
    The prosecutor's office has received more than 9,000 requests for investigations, but has said almost half of them were "manifestly outside" its jurisdiction.
    In June, Syrian human rights groups called on the court to investigate the killing of civilians in Syria, but the court lacks jurisdiction there because Syria is not an ICC member.
    The Rome Statute that set up the court also stipulates that the ICC should be used as a court of last resort only if national proceedings are not taking place.
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