Committee on the Rights of the Child

               Concluding observations on the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of Italy*

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Sexual exploitation and abuse

21. While welcoming the national plan for the prevention of and fight against abuse and sexual exploitation of children for 2015–2017 and the resumption of activities of the Observatory to Counter Paedophilia and Child Pornography, the Committee is concerned about the numerous cases of children who have been sexually abused by religious personnel of the Catholic church in the State party and the low number of investigations and criminal prosecutions. With reference to its previous recommendations (CRC/C/ITA/CO/3-4, para. 75) and its general comment No. 13, and taking note of target 16.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Committee recommends that the State party:

(a)           Adopt, with the active involvement of children, a new national plan to prevent and combat the abuse and sexual exploitation of children, and ensure its uniform implementation throughout its entire territory and at all levels of government;

(b)           Establish an independent and impartial commission of inquiry to examine all cases of sexual abuse of children by religious personnel of the Catholic church;

(c)           Ensure the transparent and effective investigation of all cases of sexual abuse allegedly committed by religious personnel of the Catholic church, the criminal prosecution of alleged perpetrators, the adequate criminal punishment of those found guilty and the compensation and rehabilitation of child victims, including those who have become adults;

(d)           Establish child-sensitive channels for children and others to report such abuse;

(e)           Protect children from further abuse by, inter alia, ensuring that persons convicted for abuse of children are prevented and deterred from having contact with children, in particular in their professional capacity;

(f)           Make every effort vis-à-vis the Holy See to remove obstacles to effective criminal prosecutions of religious personnel of the Catholic church suspected of sexual abuse of children, in the Concordat of 1985 revising the Lateran Treaty, in order to fight impunity for such acts;

(g)           Make it mandatory for everyone, including for religious personnel of the Catholic church, to report any case of alleged sexual abuse of children to the appropriate authorities of the State party;

(h)           Amend legislation implementing the Lanzarote Convention so as to ensure that it does not exclude volunteers, including religious personnel of the Catholic Church, from its prevention and protection tools.

                                *    Adopted by the Committee at its eightieth session (14 January–1 February 2019).