Published: July 16, 2010
Letters To the Editor:New York Times
Re “The Pope’s Duty” (editorial, July 9):
While the Vatican has initiated several actions to increase the efficiency of its internal procedures dealing with child sex abuse by its clergy, this should not lead anyone to believe that the Holy See will now be a force in assisting victims and punishing perpetrators and abettors to these heinous crimes.
As you correctly point out, guidelines are not mandates, and without such directives from the pope, abusers and those who have assisted them will continue to thrive while victims suffer in silence and ignominy.
In fact, the Vatican’s response should not be our primary focus if we intend to protect children. As the leader in the free world for human rights enforcement, the United States is uniquely positioned to enact authoritative measures, including having the State Department add the Holy See to its list of countries to be monitored for human rights abuses.
The Clinton administration enacted the International Religious Freedom Act, which entailed a yearly religious liberty audit of foreign countries. Similarly, there should be a yearly child protection audit of foreign countries that have employees in the United States.
Another promising path that the president and Congress should consider is amending the Mann Act, which outlaws the movement of people, including children, for purposes of illegal sex. A section should be added to include prohibiting the movement of employees known or suspected to have sexually abused children.
Since the huge cover-up of the church’s secret handling of child sexual abuse by its priests first broke in 2002, thousands of victims and millions who are rightfully and sufficiently outraged have demanded accountability. But the American government has been slow to react. This is the year that our federal government needs to stand up for children.
Marci A. Hamilton
Washington Crossing, Pa., July 10, 2010
The writer is a professor of constitutional law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University.
