Pope criminalises leaks and sex abuse in Vatican law

Pope Francis has overhauled laws that govern the Vatican City, criminalising leaks of information and specifically listing sexual violence, prostitution, and possession of child pornography as crimes against children that can be punished by up to 12 years in prison.

The legislation covers clergy and lay people who live and work in Vatican City and is different from the canon law which covers the Catholic Church.

The bulk of the Vatican’s penal code is based on the 1889 Italian code. Many of the new provisions were necessary to bring the city state’s legal system up to date after the Holy See signed international treaties, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Others were necessary to comply with international norms to fight money-laundering, part of the Vatican’s push toward financial transparency.