Vatican guidelines flawed, say advocates

A SUPPORT group for victims of clerical sex abuse has described new Vatican child protection guidelines as “dangerously flawed”.

One in Four said the Vatican had “missed an opportunity to deal definitively with the sex abuse scandal” and to protect thousands of children.

The Vatican told bishops yesterday that it was important to co-operate with police in reporting priests who rape and molest children, although it did not make such reporting mandatory. It also said they should develop guidelines by May 2012 for preventing sex abuse.