In A First, Vatican Criminalises The Sexual Abuse Of Adults

Pope Francis has made changes in the Vatican law. The new law criminalising the sexual abuse of adults by priests who abuse their authority.

Further, the Vatican also criminalised the "grooming" of minors or vulnerable adults by priests to compel them to engage in pornography.

There have been many reports of bishops and religious superiors abusing individuals using their authorities. This new law has been passed by the Vatican after 14 years of research and study can change such practises. The law sits in the criminal law section of the Vatican’s Code of Canon Law, the in-house legal system that covers the 1.3 billion-strong Catholic Church.

The 1983 code also was debated to be inadequate to deal with the sexual abuse of minors. It had long trials and the power was also vested in the hands of the bishop who could cover up for the priests.

The new Vatican law was announced on June 1 and will be in effect from December 8. The most significant changes of the law are that adults can also be considered survivors of sexual abuse. The priest who 'force, threats or abuse his authority' to engage in sex with a minor or an adult is also punishable under the new provisions added to the sexual abuse law.

Further, the church office-bearers would be punished if found guilty of abusing an adult or minor alike. The Church also doesn't mention which adults explicitly but only says, 'one to whom the law recognizes equal protection.' The offenders may also receive penalties that include losing their jobs, paying fines or being removed from their communities.

The requirement for such an arrangement was clarified in the outrage including the founder of the Peru-based conservative group Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a traditionalist development that has 20,000 individuals and parts all through South America and the U.S.