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	Group Files Complaint with International Criminal Court against Pope and Vatican Leaders for Crimes against Humanity God Discussion September 15, 2011 http://www.goddiscussion.com/78913/group-files-complaint-with-international-criminal-court-against-pope-and-vatican-leaders-for-crimes-against-humanity/ Human rights lawyers and advocacy groups filed a complaint with the Hague's International Criminal Court (ICC) this week against the Pope and pre-Vatican officials for violations of human rights. The U.S. human rights organization, the Center for Constitutional Rights, says the four men failed to prevent abuse and to punish perpetrators. They also say that they engaged in a systematic and widespread practice of concealing sexual crimes around the world. As to why they chose the ICC instead of going through local venues, a lawyer with the Center says it is the most logical venue: National jurisdictions can't really get their arms around this … Prosecuting individual instances of child molestation or sexual assault has not gotten at the larger systemic problem here. Accountability is the goal, and the ICC makes the most sense, given that it's a global problem. Technically, the complaint only asks the ICC to open an investigation, but it is unlikely that it has jurisdiction over the case. Neither the United States nor the Vatican signed the treaty that formed the ICC in 2002, and the ICC does not investigate crimes that occurred prior to its creation. The executive director of the International Bar Association told CNN that the accused actions of the Pope and Vatican leaders probably do not amount to crimes against humanity because the criteria for such a crime "requires a government policy, a plan, a widespread and systemic attack against a civilian population. Not to suggest that victims were not harmed, but to meet the level of crimes against humanity, you have to show that there is a policy or plan to initiate this." Even if the ICC does not pick up the investigation, those filing the complaint hope that it can bring more awareness to the subject.
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