image (4).jpg
The Vatican stated that a report from the United Nations due to be released on Friday would greatly disapprove of its way of handling abuse cases but it would not contain any proof that it violated an anti-torture rule.
Prior to the official release of the findings of the Geneva-based board later on Friday, the UN did not find any substantial evidence saying that the Holy See violated the Convention Against Torture (CAT), the Vatican said in a statement.
The Vatican also stated that the report found out that the opposition of the Church to abortion does not constitute torture, but it was just defending the basic right of freedom of religion and it is only protecting and promoting the human life.
Yet the Holy See believes that the UN panel, composed of legal experts and independent advocates, will accuse the church of failing to allow abuse accusations to be reported to the police, and that it only transfer accused clergy to escape disciplinary sanctions, as well as failing to understand that the victims acquire sufficient compensation.
The Vatican vows to take into serious considerations all the recommendations stated in the report.
However, the Vatican also restated its argument that the members of the clergy all over the world are not "legally tied" to the Holy See as its citizens, and they fall under the jurisdictions of the country where they came from or in the churches were they were assigned.
The panel from the UN investigated the Vatican early in May in a two-day investigation as the Church maintained an approach that was criticized by several victim support groups.
This report was compiled after the first time that the Roman Catholic-ruled city state had been under the scrutiny after signing to a global convention against inhuman and cruel punishments.
