Landmark ruling a Vatican victory

A legal battle centred on sex abuse ended in a victory for the Holy See, writes John Breslin in Chicago

AN EPIC legal battle that centred on sexual assault by a deceased Irish priest nearly half a century ago has ended with a major victory for the Vatican in its fight to avoid any legal responsibility for the sexual abuse of children.

In a landmark ruling ending a 10-year tussle, a federal judge in the US has said the Vatican was not the employer of Andrew Ronan, who was accused of, and according to Church documents admitted to, sexually assaulting children in Ireland, Chicago, and Oregon. It cannot therefore be held legally liable for the activities of Ronan, who was removed from Benburb in Co Tyrone following accusations of abuse, then shuffled between various dioceses in the US before finally being laicised.