Press TV
May 12, 2011
A lawsuit has been filed against the Vatican on behalf of the mother of a victim of sexual abuse by an imprisoned Chicago priest.
Attorney Jeff Anderson stated that the lawsuit, filed on behalf of a woman whose son was molested by Father Daniel McCormack, is an attempt to "hold those most responsible for the global problem and the problem in this community to account in a way they have never been." Suntimes.com
Announcing the suit at a news conference in Chicago, Anderson said he had sufficient evidence to hold Pope Benedict XVI and his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, accountable for enabling McCormack's long pattern of child sex abuse. macon.com
The lawsuit alleges the Vatican engaged in a criminal conspiracy to cover up the abuse McCormack perpetrated on the innocent boy. News.gather.com
The suit additionally alleges that the Vatican is preventing the release of documents by the Archdiocese of Chicago. News.gather.com
McCormack pleaded guilty in 2007 to sexually abusing five children and was sentenced to five years in prison. He's been accused of abusing more than 20 children. Suntimes.com
In 2008, the Archdiocese of Chicago agreed to pay $12.6 million to 16 victims of sexual abuse by priests, including McCormack. Missoulian.com
To win his case, Anderson must prove an exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which limits the circumstances under which sovereign nations may be sued in U.S. courts, federal or state. macon.com
Jeffrey Lena, counsel to the Holy See in the U.S., has argued that U.S. courts can claim jurisdiction only if the foreign government - in this case, the Vatican - is directly responsible for inflicting harm. macon.com
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