UN panel slams Vatican on priest sex abuse scandal
By the AP
May 23, 2014
GENEVA (AP) — A United Nations committee concluded Friday that the Vatican has effective worldwide control over bishops and priests who must comply with a U.N. anti-torture treaty, a finding that could expose the Catholic Church to new lawsuits by victims of clerical sex abuse.
The opinion from the U.N. Committee Against Torture, which oversees the international treaty on torture and other forms of degrading treatment, said Vatican officials failed to report abuse charges properly, moved priests rather than discipline them, and failed to pay adequate compensation to victims.
The opinion by the panel's 10 independent experts concludes a highly anticipated and first-ever review of the Holy See's responsibilities under the treaty that it ratified 12 years ago.
In at least 50 cases, panel members said, the Committee Against Torture has referred to rape and sexual violence, which clearly falls within the treaty's mandate on a case-by-case basis.
The committee said the Vatican must ensure that the treaty isn't violated by its officials and others "in any situation in which they exercise jurisdiction or effective control."
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
Showing 15 comments
Read the first chapter of Pastor Malachi Martin’s book “Windswept House” for the answer to that question. The Vatican hierarchy views Jesus as their “ancient enemy”.
Why we need this change
In my case 11 months ago and woke remembered being abused by the priest of the Catholic church: Ricardo Gimenez, and since then I have not stopped demanding JUSTICE for me and we are all victims and 23.
I leave you a big hug to each of you from this part of the world … Juliet Añazco
Again, please try to get this report from the UN in the USA national news, tonight. I believe we need to keep up the pressure, and that we really need to get the “celebrity worship” (of the pope) off the agenda of the American press and population, and instead make the progress of stopping sexual torture in the catholic church, known by putting the remarkable progress towards that end, back in the headlines of the televised media. Thank you.
This morning I noticed on the morning talk “news” shows, that in what appears to be yet another connived, dissembling on the subject of this scourge, and appears to be yet more evidence of the pope’s consummate manipulation of the media and world press, the vatican “timed” the new pope’s visit to Jordan and Jerusalem to occur today, and thus coincide with, and, I’m sure, (in their hopes) will upstage, the release of the UN Committee’s Report. I’m sure the pope and church heirarchy don’t want it widely known that they are NOT upholding the tenents of the UN Treaty Against Torture that they willingly signed. Again, I say SHAME ON ALL OF THEM.
Matthew 23:23:
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven."
Thank you to everyone fighting to end the reign of these criminals performing their acts of torture, all the while most evilly purporting during these same horrible acts, to be catholic and priests and catholic and laity and catholic and employees of the cataholic church, all purportedly functioning and claiming to represent the universal (global) catholic church, and meanwhile apparently trying to convince themselves and their victims (and apparently, all of us) that they are performing these crimes all in the name of God. I can’t think of any greater crimes which do in fact, often include the death (“post-poned murder” of many of their victims) that these horrible, horrible catholic pedophiles could perpetrate than what they already have done, and to date, continue doing.
I, along with the members of the UN Committee examining members (which the Vatican is) on the Convention on the Rights of the Child who met in January 2014; and now, this UN Committee examining signers of The Treaty Against Torture for compliance, who report today May 23, 2014; along with the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, the CCR and Dr. Rosemary McHugh whose passionate and compassionate comments are posted here; do believe that we are turning the tide and I believe together, we can and will prevail to rid this specific global church of this specific SCOURGE committed by these specific catholic criminals, all perpetrators of CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY.
Their heinous crimes of torture against body and soul must be ended.
It is ENOUGH to have been tolerated by the global community, this long and far. THESE SPECIFIC CATHOLIC PERPETRATORS MUST BE STOPPED NOW!
Some victims are survivors, sadly many other victims around the world have committed suicide, when they gave up hope that anyone would believe their story, because of the secrecy and denial of the truth by the predators, their superiors, and the hierarchy.
It is an outrage to think of how popes and hierarchy have allowed this to go on for centuries, and Pope Francis is continuing the cover-up and only doing what he is being forced to do by pressure from SNAP & CCR & the United Nations.
Jesus was clear about the need to protect the innocence of children. What kind of arrogance and narcissism is in the hierarchy when they choose to ignore Jesus and create a church to their own liking, with no shame for all the harm they have done to victims and to families around the world.
Thank you to SNAP, to CCR, and to the United Nations for bringing some truth and justice to victims, since the Roman Catholic Church has lost its moral authority and might never regain it again, unless it opens all files of clergy sexual abuse in the Vatican and elsewhere to police and lawyers for investigation and prosecution as needed.
Sincerely, Dr Rosemary Eileen McHugh, M.D., M.Spir., Chicago