New Papal Law Outlaws Child Abuse on Vatican Territory; Victim Support Group Is Underwhelmed, by Barry Duke, The Freethinker, July 16, 2013

New Papal Law Outlaws Child Abuse on Vatican Territory; Victim Support Group Is Underwhelmed

By Barry Duke
The Freethinker
July 16, 2013

http://freethinker.co.uk/2013/07/16/new-papal-law-outlaws-child-abuse-on-vatican-territory-victim-support-group-is-underwhelmed/

The Pope wields a big stick

VICTIMS of priestly rape are less than impressed by a new law laid down by Pope Frankie that prohibits kiddie-fiddling on the Vatican’s turf.

Reacting to news that the Pope has made it a crime to abuse children sexually or physically on Vatican grounds, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a US advocacy group for victims of abuse by priests and other clergy, pooh-poohed the law as “a feel good gesture”.

Said SNAP director David Clohessy in a written statement:

For the Vatican’s image, this is a successful move. For children’s safety, this is another setback … because it will help foster the false impression of reform and will lead to more complacency. The Church hierarchy doesn’t need new rules on abuse. It needs to follow long-established secular laws on abuse. And it needs to push for, not oppose, real reforms to archaic, predator-friendly secular laws (like the statute of limitations).

The legislation also covers child prostitution and the creation or possession of child pornography.

The acts were already crimes under Church law, but are now specifically outlawed within the Vatican city-state, which is home to hundreds of people.

But it has a “broader scope,” according to Radio Vatican. It adds provisions of international laws against war crimes, racial discrimination and humiliating treatment or punishment to the Vatican’s legal system.

Frankie issued the new laws as a “moto proprio”, meaning that the document was his own initiative, Vatican Radio said.

The new criminal laws are part of an ongoing update of the Vatican’s legal system, which began under Pope Benedict XVI.

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