EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 70/121

(2004/C 70 E/123)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2628/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(2 September 2003)

Subject: Follow-up on the ‘Resolution on sexual violence against women, particularly Catholic nuns’ adopted by the European Parliament on 5 April 2001

On 5 April 2001 the European Parliament adopted a ‘Resolution on sexual violence against women, particularly Catholic nuns’ (B5-0261, 0272, 0280 and 0298/2001) (1), which referred, among other things, to the following:

(a) the report in the US periodical the National Catholic Reporter indicating that a large number of Catholic nuns had been raped by priests in at least 23 countries;

(b) confirmation by the Holy See that it was aware of cases of rape and sexual abuse of women, including nuns, by Catholic priests, because at least five reports on this subject had been submitted to the Vatican since 1994, and according to those reports many of the nuns raped were also compelled to have abortions or resign, and in some cases became infected with HIV/AIDS.

In adopting the resolution, the European Parliament called:

(a) for those responsible for those crimes to be arrested and brought to justice;

(b) on the judicial authorities of the 23 countries cited in the reports to ensure that all appropriate judicial action was taken to establish the truth about the cases of violence against women;

(c) on the Holy See to take all allegations of sexual abuse within its organisations seriously, to cooperate with the judicial authorities and to remove the perpetrators from office;

(d) on the Holy See to reinstate those female officials who had been removed from their posts for drawing their supervisors' attention to such abuses and to afford the victims the necessary protection from and compensation for any discrimination which might ensue;

(e) for the content of the five reports cited by the National Catholic Reporter to be published in full; and

(f) instructed its President to forward the resolution to the Council, the Commission, the authorities of the Holy See, the Council of Europe, the United Nations Human Rights Commission and the Governments of Botswana, Burundi, Brazil, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Papua-New Guinea, the Philippines, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Tanzania, Tonga, the United States of America, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

In the light of the above, could the Commission state:

— what initiatives were taken subsequent to the forwarding of the resolution;

— whether contacts were established with the Holy See and the Governments of Ireland and Italy and what the outcome of these was;

— whether the European Parliament's demands concerning those countries with links to the European Union were formalised, and what the response was to these?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(28 October 2003)

The Commission continues to promote international efforts to protect women against sexual violence. In this regard, the Commission, on behalf of the Community, and the 15 Member States have signed the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime.

Concerning the specific facts referred to in the written question, the Commission has approached the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the Union's Institutions and has transmitted its concerns while requesting any information relevant to the issue.

The Union's position on the issue is therefore clear and has been articulated in international fora. It does not fall to the Commission to take the suggested steps against the Vatican, nor to intervene as regards the relations between Member States and the Vatican.

(1) OJ C 21 E, 24.1.2002, p. 353.