GENEVA
RTE News
A United Nations Committee has criticised what it calls “the continued refusal” by the four religious orders that ran the Magdalene laundries in Ireland to contribute to a redress fund for survivors of abuse.
The Committee Against Torture also criticised the Vatican’s refusal to provide archival documentation to a Special Commission of Inquiry into sex abuse in Australia.
Today’s report from the Geneva-based committee contains its concluding observations on the Holy See’s report delivered earlier this month on its adherence to the UN Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Among the recent Vatican initiatives it welcomes is its Circular Letter to Assist Bishops’ Conferences in Developing Guidelines for Dealing with Cases of Sexual Abuses of Minors Perpetrated by Clerics, which establishes that “the prescriptions of civil law regarding the reporting of such crimes to the designated authority [in any state] should always be followed”.
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