Torture, Crimes Against Humanity and the Abuse of International Law

In 2014, United Nations Committee Against Torture raised the possibility that the Vatican’s handling of sexual abuse cases involving Catholic priests constituted torture under international law. A victims group even filed a petition with the International Criminal Court accusing Pope Benedict XIV a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ronald J. Rychlak
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University Press 2020-05-01
Series:Chrześcijaństwo-Świat-Polityka
Subjects:
Online Access:https://czasopisma.uksw.edu.pl/index.php/csp/article/view/6461
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832575407322300416
author Ronald J. Rychlak
author_facet Ronald J. Rychlak
author_sort Ronald J. Rychlak
collection DOAJ
description In 2014, United Nations Committee Against Torture raised the possibility that the Vatican’s handling of sexual abuse cases involving Catholic priests constituted torture under international law. A victims group even filed a petition with the International Criminal Court accusing Pope Benedict XIV and other Church officials of “crimes against humanity” and urged that they be prosecuted for their alleged role in the crimes. Without defending the perpetrators of the abuse, this paper argues that the identified cases do not meet the legal standards to constitute either torture or crimes against humanity under international law. While those individuals who are guilty of abuse should be punished, neither they nor the Church officials who dealt with them (or failed to do so) are responsible for torture or crimes against humanity. Arguments to the contrary have been advanced in bad faith.
format Article
id doaj-art-eed0158696854a3e8569733609970bd9
institution Kabale University
issn 1896-9038
2719-8405
language deu
publishDate 2020-05-01
publisher Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University Press
record_format Article
series Chrześcijaństwo-Świat-Polityka
spelling doaj-art-eed0158696854a3e8569733609970bd92025-02-01T08:47:00ZdeuCardinal Stefan Wyszynski University PressChrześcijaństwo-Świat-Polityka1896-90382719-84052020-05-012410.21697/CSP.2020.24.1.23Torture, Crimes Against Humanity and the Abuse of International LawRonald J. Rychlak0University of Mississippi School of Law In 2014, United Nations Committee Against Torture raised the possibility that the Vatican’s handling of sexual abuse cases involving Catholic priests constituted torture under international law. A victims group even filed a petition with the International Criminal Court accusing Pope Benedict XIV and other Church officials of “crimes against humanity” and urged that they be prosecuted for their alleged role in the crimes. Without defending the perpetrators of the abuse, this paper argues that the identified cases do not meet the legal standards to constitute either torture or crimes against humanity under international law. While those individuals who are guilty of abuse should be punished, neither they nor the Church officials who dealt with them (or failed to do so) are responsible for torture or crimes against humanity. Arguments to the contrary have been advanced in bad faith. https://czasopisma.uksw.edu.pl/index.php/csp/article/view/6461juvenile harassmentrapetorturethe Catholic Church
spellingShingle Ronald J. Rychlak
Torture, Crimes Against Humanity and the Abuse of International Law
Chrześcijaństwo-Świat-Polityka
juvenile harassment
rape
torture
the Catholic Church
title Torture, Crimes Against Humanity and the Abuse of International Law
title_full Torture, Crimes Against Humanity and the Abuse of International Law
title_fullStr Torture, Crimes Against Humanity and the Abuse of International Law
title_full_unstemmed Torture, Crimes Against Humanity and the Abuse of International Law
title_short Torture, Crimes Against Humanity and the Abuse of International Law
title_sort torture crimes against humanity and the abuse of international law
topic juvenile harassment
rape
torture
the Catholic Church
url https://czasopisma.uksw.edu.pl/index.php/csp/article/view/6461
work_keys_str_mv AT ronaldjrychlak torturecrimesagainsthumanityandtheabuseofinternationallaw