Vatican Confronted By United Nations On Child Sex Abuse By Clergy (VIDEO)

Vatican Grilled By UN On Child Sex Abuse By Clergy
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Officials will face a barrage of hard questions before a panel in Geneva such as why would they not release full data and what were they doing to prevent future abuse.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi said such crimes could "never be justified" and every child should be "inviolable".

A fellow official said "things need to be done differently".

The Vatican earlier refused a request from the UN's Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) for data on abuse, and was accused of responding inadequately to abuse allegations.

Victims say they hope the hearing, which is being broadcast live, will prompt the Church to end its "secrecy".

The Holy See is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a legally binding instrument which commits it to protecting and nurturing the most vulnerable in society.