U.N. body says U.S. lax on clerical sex abuse cases

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

U.N. body says U.S. lax on clerical sex abuse cases

By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor
VATICAN CITY | Mon Feb 18, 2013 5:49pm EST

(Reuters) - A U.N. committee has accused U.S. legal authorities of failing to fully pursue cases of child sex abuse in religious groups, an issue especially troubling the Roman Catholic Church.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child wrote this month that it was "deeply concerned" to find widespread sexual abuse by clerics and staff of religious institutions and "a lack of measures ... to properly investigate cases and prosecute them".

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"The committee is deeply concerned at information of sexual abuse committed by clerics and leading members of certain faith-based organizations and religious institutions on a massive and long-term scale," said the report, which gave no details.

It said it also found a "lack of measures taken by (U.S. legal authorities) to properly investigate cases and prosecute those accused" and urged them to order law enforcement officials to step up efforts to uncover and bring charges against abusers.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/18/us-pope-resignation-abuse-idUSBRE91H0KQ20130218

[Scuba]

1. You mean 'cause zillions of kids have been abused over hundreds of years?

And practically no one has gone to jail?

Lax? Ya think?

[cleanhippie]

2. We can thank the apologists and their enablers.

[cbayer]

3. I wonder how much clout this will have with the Vatican.

Would love to see them select a new pope who commits himself to a serious look at what more they can do to address and redress this.

[Peregrine]

4. our politicians

Both R and D are afraid of religion.

[cbayer]

5. But this would seem to be more about law enforcement, no?

[cleanhippie]

6. Notice the steadfast refusal to accept that simple fact. ^^^

And people wonder how the religious right got so much power.