(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)
BY TRACY PFEIFFER
ANCHOR LAUREN GORES
You're watching multisource world video news analysis from Newsy.
Crimes against humanity.
That’s the accusation against the Pope and three Vatican officials-- in a complaint filed with The Hague’s International Criminal Court.
MINDY BLAKE, KOLD:“The U.S. human rights organization Center for Constitutional Rights submitted the complaint at The Hague today. It accuses the four men not only of failing to prevent abuse and not punishing perpetrators of rape and sexual violence, but also of engaging in the systematic and widespread practice of concealing sexual crimes around the world.”
So why go all the way to the ICC and not through local processes?
A lawyer with the Center for Constitutional Rights tell The New York times-- it’s the most logical venue.
“National jurisdictions can’t really get their arms around this... Prosecuting individual instances of child molestation or sexual assault has not gotten at the larger systemic problem here. Accountability is the goal, and the I.C.C. makes the most sense, given that it’s a global problem.”
Technically, the filing only asks the ICC to open an investigation. There’s no action just yet.
But the National Catholic Reporter notes-- this might not even make it into the action stage - because the ICC doesn’t have jurisdiction.
“The [ICC] was established as the result of a treaty, called the Rome Statute, in 2002... The original treaty establishing the basis for the court was signed in Rome in 1998 by 120 countries. A total of 60 countries ratified the agreement. Neither the United States nor the Vatican is a party to the treaty.”
The UK’s The Telegraph adds: the timing of many alleged cases of abuse presents another obstacle.
“...the court does not investigate crimes that occurred before its 2002 creation. A study commissioned by the US bishops ... in New York found abuse claims had peaked in the 1970s, then began declining sharply in 1985, as the bishops and society general gained awareness of the problem.”
Finally, the executive director of the International Bar Association tells CNN, the accused actions of the pope and Vatican leaders probably wouldn’t even amount to crimes against humanity.
“This requires a government policy, a plan, a widespread and systematic attack against a civilian population... Not to suggest that victims were not harmed, but to meet the level of crimes against humanity you really have to show that there is a policy or a plan to initiate this.”
The New York Times reports, even if the ICC doesn’t pick up the investigation, those behind the filing hope they can at least bring more awareness to the subject.
Transcript by Newsy.
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