Europe court rejects case seeking to blame Vatican for abuse
A European court agreed Tuesday that the Vatican could n’t be sued in a local court for sexual abuse committed by Catholic priests, affirming that it enjoys sovereign immunity and that the misconduct of priests and their superiors can not be attributed to the Holy See.
The European Court of Human Rights dismissed a case brought by 24 people who said they were victims of abusive priests in Belgium The 24 had argued the Holy See was liable due to the “ structurally deficient” way the Catholic hierarchy had for decades covered up cases of priests who raped and molested children.
The 24 appealed to the Strasburg-based court after Belgian courts ruled they had no jurisdiction given the Holy See’s immunity as a sovereign state.
The European court said the Belgian courts were correct and that ...