UNITED STATES
The New Civil Rights Movement
Breaking: Crimes Against Humanity Case Against Pope Benedict Rejected By International Court
by DAVID BADASH on JUNE 14, 2013
Pope Benedict XVI will not be formally investigated or charged for crimes against humanity the International Criminal Court at The Hague has just announced. The case, brought against Benedict and several Vatican cardinals by Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), was rejected on grounds of jurisdiction and evidence.
The tribunal, based in The Hague, “told attorneys for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests that ‘there is not a basis at this time to proceed with further analysis,’” an AP article in The Huffington Post states:
“The matters described in your communication do not appear to fall within the jurisdiction of the court,” a court official wrote in a May 31 letter to the Center for Constitutional Rights, the nonprofit legal group that represents the victims. The legal organization released the letter Thursday.
Pam Spees, senior staff attorney for the Center for Constitutional Rights, said her group was confident it could collect enough evidence as new abuse victims come forward to press the tribunal to reconsider.
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