In pursuit of the Pope

Pope Benedict XVI, head of a Church accused of crimes against humanity

Among the many items of news about the Catholic Church which would have been unthinkable in the distant past was the report a year ago that the Pope himself might be charged with crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Surely a fond fantasy on the part of fervent atheists like the UK's Professor Richard Dawkins, I thought. But no, there it is in black and white if you click on http://www.kanzlei-sailer.de/pope-lawsuit-2011.pdf  - a 48-page indictment of Dr Joseph Ratzinger, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, based on alleged crimes listed by two serious-sounding German lawyers and dated 14 February 2011.

My only quibble with the document is the omission of one country where crimes committed by Catholic clergy have most certainly taken place. In a section of the document entitled 'The worldwide sexual crimes of Catholic priests' there is a depressing list of abuses against children carried out in the USA, Ireland, Germany, Canada, Australia and Africa.  There are further mentions of cases in Belgium, Norway, Austria, France and Latin America.

So the use of the word 'worldwide' is certainly justified. But why is there no mention of the UK?  The abuse of children throughout Britain by members of various church organisations since at least 1970 has been well documented in the media. In a range of locations, from children's homes to our most prestigious Catholic independent schools, Catholic priests and monks have been convicted of the most shocking crimes. 

That omission may be about to be corrected, as British lawyers decide to join their European counterparts in demanding justice for victims of clerical child abuse.

David Greenwood, a partner in the Yorkshire-based firm of Jordans Solicitors, recently secured a landmark case in the House of Lords for an abuse victim which means that time limits relating to child abuse cases will be lifted.  As Head of the Child Abuse Compensation Department at Jordans, he has co-ordinated large group actions on behalf of victims of child abuse. He continues to pursue claims on behalf of over 200 claimants against Catholic organisations, the Home Office and local authorities. He contributes regularly to the firm's dedicated website at http://www.childabusesolicitor.com/

In November 2011 he drew attention to a case in which the court decided that bishops are directly responsible for abuse committed by priests. It is, as he commented, "a groundbreaking decision and destroys the myth which the Catholic Church has tried to peddle that priests are in some way above the law and their Bishops are not responsible for them" although the decision is likely to be appealed by the Church.

Mr Greenwood has now launched a campaign to ask the Government to appoint a public enquiry to look into child abuse in church organisations in England and Wales. For more detail click on http://www.childabusesolicitor.com/2012/02/david-greenwood-sets-out-the-argument-in-favour-of-a-public-inquiry-into-abuse-within-church-organisations-in-england-and-wales/