I should have posted this earlier - as it was in this morning's (3/17/10) issue of the OR, which published it one week late.
Vatican denounces sexual abuse
of minors to UN Human Rights body
March 17, 2010
Last March 10, on the occasion of the annual meeting on the Rights of Children, the permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva, Mons. Silvano Maria Tomasi, addressed the XIII Ordinary Session of the UN Council on Human Rights. Here is the text of the address, delivered in English.
Mr. President,
"Sexual abuse of minors is always a heinous crime".
To this unambiguous condemnation of sexual violence against children and young people, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has added the religious dimension, pointing out that it is also a "grave sin" that offends God and human dignity.
The child's physical and psychological integrity is violated with destructive consequences. Studies have shown that abused children react in different ways to sexual violence and have a higher likelihood of teen pregnancy, homelessness, risk of drug and alcohol dependence. In a word, the evil committed against these little ones often stigmatizes them for their entire life.
As you are aware, in the last years, Catholic clergy, religious and lay workers in a number of countries have been accused, and several have been convicted, of child abuse. There is no excuse for this behavior, which is a grave betrayal of trust.
In some cases heavy fines had to be paid while in other cases the culprits were given custodial sentences.
Protection from sexual aggression remains high on the agenda of all church institutions as they struggle to come to terms with this serious problem.
Likewise, concrete measures to ensure transparency and assistance to the victims and their families are the way to alleviate the pain, grief, and bewilderment caused by the abuse that has occurred.
The Catholic community continues its efforts to deal decisively with this problem. Thus, those who are found guilty of these crimes are immediately suspended from exercising their office and are dealt with according to the norms of civil and canon laws.
Other legal measures have been taken in order to ensure that children and young people cared for in schools and institutions are safe. Many of the measures taken, legal or administrative, deal with recognition and punishment of abuse.
Prevention is the best medicine, and this begins with education and promoting a culture of respect of the human rights and human dignity of every child, and especially through the implementation of efficient methods for the recruitment of school personnel.
Could the panel share some best practices that can help children to recognize and report the improper behavior of educators and caregivers?
I don't think many news outlets paid attention to the document - but the Vatican, at an opportune time, has put its concerns and policy on the protection of minors from sexual abuse on the record at the United Nations - and it deserves to be acknowledged.
If you are a masochist, you may want to check out what the New York Times calls a 'debate' on the sex abuse issue roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/changing-the-vaticans-response-t...
in which their 'loaded dice' panelists are John Allen - who in the one statement he makes about the Munich case that involved Cardinal Ratzinger suggests a much wider involvement than there really was; David Gibson, who says the Pope himself should 'come clean' about the Munich case and apologize; two victims' group representatives, and a law professor who holds up the US bishops' response as a model for the Vatican to follow.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 27/03/2010 21:50]