VATICAN CITY
The Telegraph (United Kingdom)
The Pope’s butler, who is accused of stealing sensitive documents, declared his innocence in court on Tuesday and accused Vatican police of mistreating him during his incarceration.
By Nick Squires, Rome
2:10PM BST 02 Oct 2012
In a surprise development, the judge in charge of the trial of Paolo Gabriele ordered Vatican prosecutors to open an investigation into whether the valet was held in inhumane conditions, as it emerged that he was kept in a tiny cell with the lights on 24 hours a day for up to 20 days.
The butler disclosed details of his incarceration in a “secure room” in the headquarters of the Vatican gendarmerie, the Pope’s police force, during cross-examination by his lawyer.
He said that the cell that he was initially held after his arrest on May 20 was so narrow that he could not stretch out his arms.
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