Rome, Italy, Jun 2, 2011 / 13:30 pm
Lawyers acting on behalf of Belgian clerical abuse victims say they intend to sue the Vatican, despite the bishops of Belgium agreeing to compensate abuse survivors only two days ago.
The legal team – working on behalf of about 70 victims – claims that the Vatican did not intervene even when it learned of the sexual scandals in the Belgian Church.
“There were instructions from the Pope that said those things had to be kept secret and silent,” claimed lawyer Christine Mussche at a news conference in Belgian city of Ghent June 1.
The Bishops Conference of Belgium said on Monday, May 30 that it would set up a commission to compensate victims molested so long ago that their cases can no longer be prosecuted. Some reported cases go back several decades.