Ex-papal official in trial over child sex

Jozef Wesolowski, a former archbishop and papal ambassador to the Dominican Republic, will stand trial on criminal charges of paying for sex with minors and possessing child pornography, the Vatican has said.

The trial, which is due to start on July 11, will be the first on such charges inside the tiny city-state that is the headquarters of the 1.2bn-member Catholic Church.

Vatican sources said the decision by the president of the Vatican’s tribunal to indict Wesolowski could not have been taken without a green light from Pope Francis. They said it was another sign of the pontiff’s intention to get tough on sex abuse by clergy.