GENEVA – The United Nations’ Committee on the Rights of the Child released an unprecedented report last week that slammed the Catholic Church for protecting itself and priests who had been accused of sexual assaults.
In the report, the committee advised that the Vatican should establish an “independent mechanism for monitoring children’s rights” so that reports of sexual assault be investigated and turned over to law enforcement. Reports of priest sexual abuse have surfaced at alarming rates in recent years, as more and more victims step forward.
The committee called for all known sexual abusers to be removed from the church.
The report was released in the wake of a hearing last month where officials from the Vatican were confronted with pointed and direct questions on how they are attempting to stop sexual abuse in the church and why they refuse to release data related to priests who had committed or been accused of committing abuses against children.
In a statement released immediately following the release of the report, the Vatican said that it had already made most of the changes the report calls for, and that the report’s conclusions were “out of date” and an “attempt to interfere” with church teachings. Other Catholics called the document offensive.
Pope Francis announced in December that a committee on abuse would be formed in order to stem the tide and eradicate sexual abuse in the church.