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In The Backdrop Of Church Rape Controversies, Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi Seeks Pope’s Support Against Child Sex Abuse
Noble Laureate Kailash Satyarthi (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images for YouTube)
Seeking support for a new legally binding international law against growing digital and online forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse cases, Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi has on Friday (November 16) called on Pope Francis, reports TNIE.
Satyarthi is meeting stakeholders irrespective of caste ethnicity, nationality, religion or their political affinity to gain support for the movement demanding the convention.
The demand becomes especially significant in the backdrop of several cases against church functionaries in India alleging sexual assault and rape.
A recent case against Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal had become especially notorious when the key witness in the case, father Kuriakose Kattuthara was found dead few days after the release of the accused.
The incident saw protests by several nuns who alleged that sexual abuse in the church was rampant and the incidents were regularly brushed under the carpet. The victims who chose to spoke against the powerful church functionaries were ostracised, threatened and publicly shamed, with a Kerala MLA PC George calling a victim “prostitute”.
Recently in August, The Pennsylvania Supreme Court made public one of the broadest-ever investigations into Catholic clerical child sex abuse in the United States. The report, based on church documents and victim interviews, named at least 300 priests accused of child sex abuse by more than 1,000 with the report stating that the actual numbers are likely be much higher given the reluctance of the victims in coming forward.
“I fully endorse and support and back it because this is a very serious problem and it should stop,” Pope was quoted as saying by the Nobel Prize winner adding that the religious leader had said that the meeting would be a practical meeting to come out with practical solutions.
“Grateful to His Holiness Pope Francis for extending his full support to my demand for a legally binding global UN Convention against online child sexual abuse backed by a Global Task Force and dedicated international toll-free helpline to provide holistic support to victims,” he said.
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