Why only focus on the Holy See now?
The Holy See is up for review during the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s 65th session that takes place on 16 January 2014. Among other issues, the Committee has asked the Holy See to give detailed information on all cases of child sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy, brothers and nuns brought to the Holy See’s attention.
The Holy See has voluntarily ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, so like all other State Parties it needs to regularly report to the Committee on its adherence to the Convention. The Convention is a legally binding document under international law that includes, among others, children’s right to protection from violence and sexual abuse.
This is the first time the UN has requested such specific details on child sexual abuse from the Holy See. The Holy See has reported to the Committee before, with its first report after ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child back in 1995.1 Its second report was due in 1997, but was only submitted in 2011,2 after which the Committee scheduled its review for January 2014.
We are aware that other religious institutions are also implicated in historic and current sexual abuse against children. This toolkit is part of a wider campaign that aims to end sexual abuse of children in all religious institutions. We aim to expand our research beyond the Catholic Church and find additional partners. Please email us for more information.
What has the UN asked of the Holy See?
In a formal communication with the Holy See in July 2013 (called List of Issues - ie, the issues the Committee will review the State on), the Committee on the Rights of the Child noted "the recognition by the Holy See of sexual violence against children committed by members of the clergy, brothers and nuns in numerous countries around the world, and given the scale of the abuses…", requested detailed information on all cases of child sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy, brothers and nuns brought to the attention of the Holy See over the reporting period (since 1995 - after its first report to the Committee.) The request included information on specific cases where bishops or leaders had failed to report suspected abuse to the police, any internal investigations which had been undertaken, and how the Holy See was ensuring that abusers had no further contact with children.3
This request received significant media attention,4 but when the Holy See’s response to the Committee was issued in December 2013,5 it did not provide the full disclosure sought by the Committee. Despite stating that it considers the Convention on the Rights of the Child to be "the most important among the rules of international law",6 it declined to provide this information, stating that the matter did not fall within its jurisdiction and that it is "not the practice of the Holy See to disclose information on the religious discipline of members of the clergy".7
You can find all the official documents regarding the review, including alternative reports submitted as evidence by NGOs and victim support groups on the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights website.
Read more about the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
1. View CRC/C/3/Add.27. Read the CRC’s concluding observations to that report.
2. View CRC/C/VAT/2
3. The relevant information can be found on page 11 of the List of Issues (CRC/C/VAT/Q/2)
4. See e.g. 'The price of statehood', The Economist; 'UN tells vatican to hand over details of child sex abuse cases', The Telegraph; 'At the vatican noir: UN seeking disclosure of thousands of pedophile cases related to clergy', Huffington Post.
5. View CRC/C/VAT/Q/2/Add.1
6. Written replies page 1
7. Written replies page 16