UN grills Vatican over child sex abuse

Vatican questioned by panel of experts over efforts to eliminate sex abuse by priests.

The UN’s anti-torture watchdog has questioned the Vatican over efforts to eliminate child sex abuse by priests, as the Catholic Church defended an approach which victims said had “failed terribly”.

The panel of independent rights and legal experts fired questions at the Vatican delegation during Monday’s opening session of a two-day hearing.

It was the first time the Vatican has been scrutinised since it signed up in 2002 to a global convention banning not only torture, but also other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment.

Al Jazeera’s Kim Vinnell reports.

Source: Al Jazeera