A new UN report on Catholic sex crisis issued Friday

By Barbara Blaine
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
May 21, 2014

http://www.snapnetwork.org/a_new_un_report_on_catholic_sex_crisis_issued_friday

On Friday, a second United Nations panel will release a new report that looks at Catholic officials’ handling of rape and sexual violence by clergy. This time, the UN Committee Against Torture will issue its findings as to whether Catholic officials are violation of the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment.

But it has now been 12 weeks since another United Nations panel released a lengthy report about the church's on-going clergy sexual violence and cover up crisis. That panel made 22 recommendations on how Vatican officials can better implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

As best we can tell, every Catholic official is ignoring every one of those recommendations. That is shameful.

We expect on Friday, when the U.N. Committee Against Torture issues its new report, that apologists for the Catholic hierarchy will question the panel's judgment, perhaps even its motives. We hope we are wrong.

But if that happens, we hope citizens and Catholics will look at these claims by church officials with great skepticism. The Catholic hierarchy has long tried to evade responsibility for and deflect attention from its long-standing and devastating wrongdoing by attacking those who expose clergy sexual violence and cover ups.

http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CRC/Shared%20Documents/VAT/CRC_C_VAT_CO_2_16302_E.pdf

The Committee Against Torture questioned Vatican officials earlier this month about widespread sexual violence.

http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/un-committee-against-torture-asks-vatican-about-sex-abuse-scandal

Its findings will be released in Geneva on Friday at 8:00 a.m. (eastern standard time)

http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CAT/Shared%20Documents/1_Global/INT_CAT_POW_52_21968_E.pdf

The Committee for the Rights of the Child questioned Vatican officials about widespread sexual violence in January. Its findings were released in February.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26044852

Vatican officials attacked the CRC but claimed they would "study" its findings.

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/world-news/5/1505/0/un-condemns-holy-see-over-sex-abuse

http://www.news.va/en/news/holy-see-responds-to-un-committee-on-rights-of-the

http://jurist.org/paperchase/2014/02/un-report-condemns-vatican-over-child-abuse.php

There has not been a peep, however, from even a single Catholic official over the past 12 weeks about adopting even one of the CRC's recommendations.

So for the safety of children, we hope Vatican officials will take action soon on the recommendations of both panels.