Victim Advocates File Urging International Criminal Court To Prosecute Pope and 3 Cardinals

The New York Times reports that yesterday the Center for Constitutional Rights CCR) representing Survivors Network of Those Abused By Priests (SNAP) filed a complaint (full text) with the International Criminal Court in the Hague seeking investigation and prosecution of 4 high level Vatican officials, including Pope Benedict XVI, for their roles in covering up sex abuse by priests. The 3 others charged are all Cardinals holding important positions in the Vatican, including American Cardinal William Levada. The complaint alleges that the ICC has jurisdiction because the sexual abuse amounts to torture and crimes against humanity. A CCR press release announcing the filing of the complaint reported that: "SNAP and CCR are embarking on a 12-city tour throughout Europe to demand local diocese turn over relevant documents and encourage other victims of sexual abuse by clergy to come forward and provide additional evidence to add to the complaint." The complaint is already accompanied by some 20,000 pages of supporting documents.