Two American advocacy groups representing victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests have filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court, asking it to investigate Pope Benedict and three other top Vatican officials for covering up the rape and sexual assault of children by priests. It is unclear whether the ICC has jurisdiction over this case. The ICC investigates war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed after July 1, 2002, when it was established. The Vatican, like the United States, have not ratified the Rome Statute that created the court, meaning the ICC has no jurisdiction there. Laurie Goodstein of The New York Times wrote about the complaint in today’s paper.
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