Disappointing .. i had decided to post in full the article of the 2nd link of yours .. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/12/jozef-wesolowski-sex-abuse_n_3917090.html .. until reading in the "More from AP" the Vatican had stated Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski as an employee of the Vatican did have diplomatic immunity (hate that, not sure of complications, but have long felt it shouldn't exist for anyone) .. now i'll just out this bit ..
"In addition to the jurisdiction issue, the Wesolowski case is important for other legal reasons: The Vatican has long managed to fend off civil lawsuits in the U.S. seeking to hold it liable for the conduct of abusive priests or negligent bishops who moved pedophiles around from parish to parish rather than report them to police. It has done so by successfully arguing that neither priests nor bishops are Vatican employees, and that the Holy See therefore cannot be held liable for their criminal conduct.
The case of Wesolowski is different since he is most certainly a Vatican employee, the pope's own personal envoy to the Dominican Republic.
[ so Archbishops are special, eh .. seems rational to say lowlifes as Wesolowski have no claim to any protection except of the law of the country any crime is alleged to have been committed in ]
Pope Francis has instructed the Vatican to continue its tough line against sexually abusive priests, instructing the head of the Vatican office that handles abuse cases to act "decisively" to protect children, help victims and take the necessary measures to punish the guilty.
Francis in July also signed off on legislation criminalizing child sex abuse and other sexual crimes, with punishments ranging up to more than a decade in prison – laws that apply to Vatican employees as well as diplomatic staff. Those new laws, however, can't be applied retroactively in this case, officials say."
as one possible positive on the child molestation front Pope Francis has made .. it's totally unacceptable that the Vatican could shield a pedophile .. can only hope the Vatican investigation is not the end of it ..
In his last two years as pope, Benedict XVI defrocked nearly 400 priests for raping and molesting children, more than twice as many as in the two years that preceded a 2010 explosion of publicity surrounding sex abuse cases, according to a document obtained Friday by The Associated Press. ]
[AFP report] that the Holy See had been slow to react to allegations of sexual abuse by clergy members. During hours of questioning, members of the committee pressed the Vatican over what kind of sanctions are imposed on abusive priests, whether bishops cover up priests by transferring them to other parishes, and transparency. Vatican former sex crimes prosecutor Monsignor Charles Scicluna, while admitting some Vatican fault, assured the committee it was committed to to take action against anyone who obstructs justice. Legal groups, such as the Center for Constitutional Rights .. http://ccrjustice.org/ .. [advocacy website], called Thursday's hearing .. http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/16/world/europe/un-vatican-sexual-abuse/?hpt=wo_c1 .. [CNN report] "a milestone in calling for an end to these days of impunity."
This is the first time the Holy See is defending itself in public over its sex abuse record
The Vatican is facing tough questions from UN investigators in Geneva on the sexual abuse of thousands of children by Roman Catholic clergy.
Pope Francis has said that dealing with abuse is vital for the Church's credibility, but the Church has been criticised over its inadequate response to some of the allegations. line break
When did the sex abuse scandals in the Church first come to light?
US priest John Geoghan was jailed for his crimes, and later killed in prison by another inmate
The sexual abuse of children was rarely discussed in public before the 1970s, and it was not until the 1980s that the first cases of molestation by priests came to light, in the United States and Canada.
In the 1990s, revelations began of widespread abuse in Ireland.
In the new century, more cases of abuse have been revealed in more than a dozen countries around the world. line break
What are the most salient cases of abuse?
Father Marcial Maciel enjoyed the support of Pope John Paul II for many years
Two major reports into Irish allegations of paedophilia in 2009 revealed the shocking extent of abuse, cover-ups and hierarchical failings involving thousands of victims, and stretching back decades.
In one, four Dublin archbishops were found to have in effect turned a blind eye to cases of abuse from 1975 to 2004.
A fresh scandal erupted in March 2010 when it emerged the head of the Irish Catholic Church, Cardinal Sean Brady, was present at meetings in 1975 .. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8566671.stm .. where children signed vows of silence over complaints against a paedophile priest, Fr Brendan Smyth. This prompted Pope Benedict XVI to apologise to Irish victims.
In the US, the Boston Archdiocese has been worst hit, with the activities of two of its priests, Paul Shanley and John Geoghan, causing public outrage.
Cardinal Bernard Law resigned over the scandal in 2002.
In Mexico, the founder of the Legion of Christ order, Marcial Maciel, long admired by Pope John Paul II, was disciplined by the Vatican in 2006 over the abuse of boys and young men over a period of 30 years.
Cardinal Bernard [Law] resigned in 2002 over the mishandling of sex abuse cases
After the first scandals emerged, in 2001 the Vatican issued guidelines for senior clergy on how to handle paedophile priests, which stated that all cases should be referred to Rome. Until then, all cases had been handled by the Church in the country concerned.
However, pressure continued to mount on the Church, and after a spate of new cases in 2010 Pope Benedict XVI issued new rules .. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13416498 .. saying bishops should report suspected cases of abuse to local police, if required to do so by law.
Campaigners said the changes did not go far enough, and the now former Pope has himself been accused of suppressing the investigation of paedophile priests, a charge which he recently denied .. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24222951 .
He has since made it clear that dealing with the issue is vital for the Church's credibility.
He has strengthened Vatican laws on child abuse, and recently announced the creation of a Vatican committee .. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25235724 .. to fight sexual abuse and help victims.
Many campaigners feel the Vatican has been dragging its feet
Victims' groups have responded to almost every move by the Vatican with scepticism.
But they have welcomed the UN hearing in Geneva.
Barbara Blaine, the president of Snap (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests .. http://www.snapnetwork.org/news ), expressed the hope that the hearing would mean that the "truth will be exposed" and Pope Francis would "take action that will actually protect children".
She said that the new Pope would be judged on his actions - specifically whether he was prepared to make it compulsory to turn evidence over to the police, and whether he would punish any bishop who covered up abuse by a priest.
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