Vatican hits back at UN child sex abuse report

The Vatican has hit back at a UN human rights committee that issued a scathing report on sex abuse by priests accusing it of straying beyond its mandate and discrediting the UN as a whole by adopting the “prejudiced” positions of anti-Catholic advocacy groups.

The Vatican said the UN committee had ignored both the Holy See’s unique status and its efforts to address the abuse crisis in recent years, noting that it had provided this information to the committee in writing and in person.

It blasted what it called the “absolutely anomalous” publicity the committee gave its report and promised a full response at a later date.