Vatican seems to miss deadline

Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

Catholic officials apparently ignore request
UN panel seeks info about crimes & cover ups
Hierarchy was supposed to reply by Nov. 1
Victims blast top church staff for “stonewalling”
“Again, prelates thumb their noses at secular authorities,” SNAP says

For immediate release: Friday, November 8, 2013

For more information: Barbara Blaine ( +1-312-399-4747, SNAPblaine@gmail.com )

A support group for clergy sex abuse victims is blasting top Catholic officials for apparently missing a deadline to answer questions from a United Nations panel about clergy sex crimes and cover ups.

Last July, a UN committee sent Vatican authorities a list of about 20 questions, with a November 1 deadline. The questions were designed to help the committee determine whether the church is honoring the 23 year old Convention on the Rights of the Child.

[SNAP]

But it seems clear that Catholic figures are ignoring the committee’s request. Responses from three other countries that were given the same deadline as the Vatican have been posted on the UN committee’s website. No response from the Vatican has been posted.

[Committee on the Rights of the Child]

“Once again, top Catholic officials thumb their noses at secular authorities and hide information about on-going crimes and cover ups,” said SNAP spokesperson Miguel Hurtado of London. “Some hoped the church hierarchy might be more open about clergy sex crimes and cover ups under Pope Francis. But that’s obviously not happening.

“We believe that the high-ranking Catholic staff is violating the Rights of the Child treaty,” said Mary Caplan of New York, SNAP representative to the UN. “They do this because they can. They get by with it because few secular authorities have the courage and strength to hold the Catholic hierarchy accountable for repeatedly reckless, callous, deceitful and self-serving actions regarding vulnerable kids, powerful prelates, and child molesting clerics.”

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