US judge denies move for Vatican testimony in abuse case

December 02, 2011

A federal judge in Oregon has denied a request by lawyers for a sex-abuse victim to question Vatican officials about the supervision of the accused priest.

In a lawsuit brought by a man identified only as "John Doe," the plaintiff's lawyers questioned whether the late Father Andrew Ronan, the accused molester, was in effect an employee of the Vatican. The plaintiff argued that only direct testimony would resolve that question. But Judge Michael Mosman ruled that there was not enough evidence to justify a demand for Vatican testimony.

 

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Further information:

• Judge denies face-to-face questioning of Vatican (AP)