The Vatican has been urged to “immediately remove” all clergy from the Catholic Church who are known or suspected child abusers.<br /><br />The demand comes in an unprecedented and scathing report by the United Nations’ Committee on the Rights of the Child.<br /><br />It accuses the church officials of impsing a so-called code of silence to cover up crimes.<br /><br />Kirsten Sandberg, committee chairman said: “The main finding of the committee was that the Holy See has adopted policies and practices which have led to the continuation of the abuse by the perpetrators.”<br /><br />The UN also calls on the Holy See to hand over to local authorities an archive of evidence about the abuse of tens of thousands of children, and take<br />measures to prevent a repeat. <br /><br />The exceptionally blunt report followed the UN committee’s public grilling of Vatican officials last month.
