Lawyer in Sensitive Vatican Abuse Case Issues Scathing Critique of Church’s Secretive Legal System
Laura Sgro says the women have no access to the secret proceedings and wants the Vatican to explain the status of the Rupnik trial.
- On Tuesday, attorney Laura Sgro demanded the Vatican clarify the status of the canonical trial for Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik, criticizing the church's secretive legal system that excludes her five clients from proceedings.
- The Rupnik scandal erupted in late 2022 when Italian blogs reported abuse allegations spanning over 30 years; Pope Francis waived the statute of limitations in 2023 to permit a canonical trial.
- In canonical trials, victims serve as third-party witnesses without access to case files or participation rights. Sgro complained that her clients have never been interviewed or informed of the trial's status.
- Vatican officials stated on Tuesday the case remains ongoing, declining to confirm reports that Rupnik had been absolved. Maria Campatelli, director of the Rome-based Aletti Center, called the claims "defamatory and unproven."
- The trial's outcome carries significant weight for Pope Francis' legacy, as victims and advocates closely monitor developments amid allegations the Slovenian priest was protected by the Vatican hierarchy for over three decades.
23 Articles
23 Articles
This photo, provided and released on July 22, 2026 by the Vatican press office (Vatican Media), shows Pope Leo XIV waving to the people of a balcony during his visit to the Shrine of the Most Holy Trinity in Vallepietra. Handout / VATICAN MEDIA / AFP The lawyer of five women who accuse a well-known Slovenian priest of sexual assault denounces the Vatican's lack of transparency in judicial action. "What is happening in this trial is simply fright…
The Vatican had invoked the statute of limitations to close the case in 2022 without an investigation, but Pope Francis had lifted it the following year to allow the proceedings to proceed.
Rupnik victims ‘disheartened and distressed’ but determined, says lawyer
Victims of a disgraced celebrity priest are “deeply disheartened and distressed” at the slow pace and near-total opacity of their alleged abuser’s trial at Church law in the Vatican. The high-profile case of Father Marko Rupnik tarnished the reputation of Pope Francis and continues to challenge the Vatican’s – and Pope Leo XIV’s – commitment to orderly and transparent justice, especially in matters of clerical abuse and coverup. The attorney for…
The Toronto Star
Lawyer in sensitive Vatican abuse case issues scathing critique of church’s secretive legal system
ROME (AP) — The lawyer for five women who say they were sexually and spiritually abused by a former Jesuit priest and internationally known religious artist penned a scathing denunciation Tuesday of the Vatican’s secretive legal system, in which her…
Associated Press News
Lawyer in sensitive Vatican abuse case issues scathing critique of church's secretive legal system
The lawyer for five women who say they were sexually, psychologically and spiritually abused by a once-famous Jesuit priest has penned a scathing denunciation of the Vatican’s secretive legal system.
A representative of women who accuse former Jesuit Marko Rupnik of abuse is demanding answers from church authorities.
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