Pope’s Former Butler Complains about Inhumane Treatment in Vatican Prison

Vatican Insider
October 2, 2012

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/homepage/the-vatican/detail/articolo/vatileaks-18592/

Gabriele's ongoing trial

During the second hearing in the Vatileaks case, the Pope’s former butler, Paolo Gabriele criticised the mental pressure and other mistreatments he was subjected to for the first 15-20 days of his detention. “I couldn’t even stretch my arms out,” and “the light was kept on 24/7, he stated.”

“There was no light switch and so I suffered loss of vision.” Answering questions addressed to him by his lawyer, Gabriele also complained about the “mental pressure” he was put under, “particularly on the fist night” of his detention: “I was even refused a pillow.”

The President of the Vatican Tribunal, Giuseppe Dalla Torre, asked the Promoter of Justice, Nicola Picardi, to open case file no. 52/2012, to check whether there were any other abuses during the defendant’s detention.

In relation to this, the Vatican’s spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi, pointed out that Paolo Gabriele’s conditions were “very humane”.

“Even the smallest cell in which Gabriele was initially held conforms to the international standards set out in conventions which the Vatican adheres to. 39 provisions ensuring the good treatment of detained individuals such as himself who are undergoing investigation, from medical to spiritual assistance, to visits by relatives and lawyers, were respected throughout his detention period.”

In terms of the light issue, “clarification is needed on the customary procedure set out in international standards.” In any case, the case file opened today in the Vatican, “also concerns the possibility of false accusations having been made to judicial authorities.”

“The claim that he was treated in an inhumane way, when great care was taken to ensure the opposite, raises certain questions” which “judges will address.” He explained that the above-mentioned file was opened to “verify whether false accusations were made to judicial authorities.”