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MEDIA NOTICE
A Seminar organized by The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
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From December 12 -14, 2021, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of minors hosted an academic seminar on “The Rights of Alleged Victims of Sexual Abuse as Minors in Canonical Penal Procedures.”
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Over the course of three days, approximately 60 experts from around the world in civil and canon law, theology, psychiatry, and the social sciences, joined officials of the Roman Curia to study provisions made in different judicial systems and evaluate the role of victims in the different current canonical penal procedures.
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The seminar was based on a comparative analysis of civil jurisdictions across 10 nations. The intention was to learn about the principles that govern different legal traditions with regard to the role of victims in the penal procedures around the world and how these principles unfold in different civil jurisdictions.
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Furthermore, the participants engaged in dialogue to discern together what the current canonical provisions do already provide for, in which areas more and better information about the existing provisions is called for, and how the role of victims in the different canonical procedures can be further strengthened so that the dignity of the human person is best protected and promoted.
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The Commission welcomes its role in promoting the outcomes of the Seminar and in studying how the Church can make the current provisions more comprehensible and accessible to all concerned.
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Commission President Cardinal Seán O’Malley, OFM Cap., said: “Our members and the esteemed colleagues who gathered with us are a visible expression of the Holy Father’s call to us all to be part of a community that confronts and responds to the crime and evil of abuse. These moments of study and research are an important part of the Commission’s mandate to truly have frank and informed conversations about what is not working and what must be improved in our safeguarding systems. It is my hope that this Seminar will give greater voice to victims/survivors and clearer directions to those tasked with the responsibility of leadership in our Church.”
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Balancing confidentiality, transparency and accountability
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The ongoing work of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (TutelaMinorum) continues to bring together experts from around the world, providing renewed attention to strengthening the Church’s response to the sexual abuse crisis faced in every part of the world. The most recent contribution to these efforts is the publication of ten presentations offered during a seminar sponsored …
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PONTIFICAL COMMISSION FOR THE PROTECTION OF MINORS
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Largo Giovanni Paolo II | 00120 – Vatican City State
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