Vatican City, Aug 13, 2012 / 10:34 am
Pope Benedict XVI's personal assistant Paolo Gabriele has been charged with theft amid suspicion that he leaked confidential papal documents to the press with the help of an accomplice.
Examining judge Piero Bonnet announced Aug. 13 that the papal aide would be tried in a Vatican City State court on charges of "aggravated theft," Vatican Radio reported. If found guilty, he could face six years in jail.
Claudio Sciarpelleti, a computer technician at the Vatican Secretariat of State, faces a lesser charge of "aiding and abetting" Gabriele.
In a 35-page report released Monday, Judge Bonnet said Gabriele initially denied involvement in the "Vatileaks" scandal, in which secret documents from the Pope and top Vatican officials have been provided to the media.