UN grills Vatican on clerical sex abuse scandal

The Vatican came under blistering criticism from a UN committee for its handling of the global priest sex abuse scandal, facing its most intense public grilling to date over allegations it protected paedophile priests at the expense of victims.

The Vatican insisted it had little jurisdiction to sanction paedophile priests around the globe, saying it was for local law enforcement to do so. However, officials conceded more needs to be done and promised to build on progress already made to become a model for others, given the scale of the problem and the role the Holy See plays in the international community.

“The Holy See gets it,” said Monsignor Charles Scicluna, the Vatican’s former sex crimes prosecutor. “Let’s not say too late or not. But there are certain things that need to be done differently.”