VATICAN CITY
BBC News
The Vatican has refused to provide information requested by the United Nations on the alleged sexual abuse of children by priests, nuns or monks.
The Vatican said the cases were the responsibility of the judicial systems of countries where abuse took place.
The UK National Secular Society accused the Vatican of hiding behind legal technicalities.
On his appointment in March, Pope Francis said dealing with sex abuse was vital for the Church’s credibility.
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child put a wide-ranging questionnaire to the Holy See – the city state’s diplomatic entity – last July, asking for detailed information about the particulars of all sexual abuse cases notified to the Vatican since 1995.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.