Sex abuse lawsuit against Holy See dismissed

The US Court of Appeals has dismissed an appeal in a case that would have held the Vatican responsible for child sexual abuse, reports NCR.

The 13-year-old effort by a Seattle man to hold the Vatican responsible for priest abuse ended on Monday, according to a report from Vatican Radio.

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has dismissed the plaintiff’s appeal in John V. Doe vs. Holy See after years of wrangling over the legality of suing the Vatican and whether it acts as the employer of U.S. priests.

The suit involved a man now in his sixties who accused the late Fr Andrew Ronan of molesting him when he was a child in Oregon in 1965. 

The plaintiff tried to place the blame on the Vatican, saying that as Ronan’s employer, it was ultimately responsible for his actions.