DutchNews.nl
Tuesday 17 January 2012
A number of Catholic priests who have been named as child abusers will not face prosecution because their cases will officially be too old, justice minister Ivo Opstelten has told parliament.
Ministers had hoped to allow prosecutions to go ahead but this conflicts with European law, Opstelten said in his briefing.
Parliament is planning to change the statute of limitations on sex crimes but that cannot be imposed retroactively, the minister told MPs.
According to the Telegraaf, around 100 priests and monks will not face charges because the abuse happened too long ago.
A report into sex abuse within the Catholic church at the end of last year said 800 priests and monks were involved in abusing children in their care between 1945 and 1985. Of them, 105 are still alive.
© DutchNews.nl
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Does anyone know what the chances are of victims pursuing private prosecutions?
By WorkAreaBar | January 17, 2012 3:14 PM
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There is no verjaring (statute of limitations.US) in cases where the defendant could be sentenced to life in prison on being found guilty.
Criminal conspiracy, organised criminality, systematically perverting the course of justice, charges of these nature coupled with persistent and vicious sexual/sadistic and or psychological abuse of the most vulnerable people in society, children and young adults that irony of ironies have been entrusted to their “charitable” care.
In my opinion these aggravating factors when added together may be punishable by a life sentence in the most extreme cases.
There are still 105 to choose from, starting from the most recent and working backwards would be the best approach considering the advanced age of many of the surviving accused.
By WorkAreaBar | January 17, 2012 8:31 PM
Hopefully the church will step in and do what the statute of limitations in European law won’t allow by taking it upon themselves to rid our communities of these pedophile priests.
By Quince | January 17, 2012 11:46 AM