Catholic Church sexual abuse cases

The highest ranking Catholic official to ever be convicted of concealing sexual crimes against children has been sentenced to 12 months in Australia for covering up abuse by a pedophile priest.

A new draft law over cases of sexual abuse against children is problematic, as minors under the age of 15 could also receive a sentence of eight to 15 years for engaging in sexual acts with each other, according to Istanbul University Prof. Dr. Adem Sözüer.

The alleged victims of the most senior Vatican official charged in the Catholic Church sex abuse crisis finished testifying to an Australian court on March 14.

Four men were arrested in Pieria, northern Greece on charges of sexual abusing a 16-year-old girl, the daughter of one of the men.

According to reports, the girl had suffered repeated sexual abuse since she was 6.

Police are also investigating whether the teenager's 50-year-old father received money from the other three suspects.

Pope Francis, in an extremely rare act of self-criticism, apologized to victims of clerical sexual abuse on Sunday, acknowledging that he had "wounded many" in comments defending a Chilean bishop who is under scrutiny./Reuters

Australian institutions “seriously failed” children in their care with tens of thousands sexually assaulted, the final report from a five-year inquiry said Dec. 15 as it recommended that celibacy among Catholic priests should be voluntary to help curb abuse.

Eleven bar associations in Turkey have raised concerns over the rising number of child sexual abuse cases, in a statement released to mark Universal Children’s Day.

Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell arrived back in Australia on July 10 ahead of a court appearance later this month over historical sex abuse charges.

The 76-year-old, a top advisor to Pope Francis, touched down in Sydney and was met by security before being whisked away in a waiting car.  

Imagine a guy whose 16-year-old daughter has accused him of sexual abuse. Not once or twice, but for six years.

Which child would accuse her father on such grounds over nothing? It could be incomplete or it could be exaggerated, but if a child says such a thing, it is considered true. 

A book revealing widespread child molestation and a cover-up by Pope Francis of sexual abuses in the Catholic Church, which will be released on January 19, is expected to cause new controversy.