A group of people, including author, Richard Dawkins, and lawyer, Geoffrey Robertson, threaten that if the Pope visits Britain later this year, he will be arrested to appear before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for “crimes against humanity”.

Mr Robertson quotes the ICC definition of a crime against humanity which includes “rape and sexual slavery and other similarly inhumane acts causing harm to mental or physical health, committed against civilians on a widespread or systematic scale”. 

He claims that because “acts of sexual abuse by Catholic priests are not isolated or sporadic . . . but part of a wide practice, both known to and unpunished by, their de facto authority . . .” they fall under the ICC’s jurisdiction.

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A recent study of child abuse by Professor Philip Jenkins of Pennsylvania State University showed that, of all professions, Catholic priests have the lowest offence rate. Doctors, school teachers, prison warders and sport coaches are all worse.

http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/ReligionTheology/HistoryofChristianity/American/~~/dmlldz11c2EmY2k9OTc4MDE5NTE0NTk3Nw==

Most child abuse takes place in the home — typical offenders being Mum’s latest boyfriend or an uncle.

Those are the facts. But who wants facts?

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If the Pope is found guilty and locked up who will benefit?

He might be found guilty. Was he, perhaps, not quick enough in defrocking an abusive priest under his charge?

The priest involved, Reverend Stephen Kiesle, was defrocked, but not until receiving a formal hearing. It took a long time — about four years.

There is, of course, always a danger of being too quick. How impossible it is to prove that any alleged wrongful act did not happen.

Have not lawyers accused tens of thousands of non-custodial Australian fathers of child-abuse, leaving the father — already deprived of his house, car and most of his wages — banned from seeing his own child?

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Pope Benedict has done more to protect children from abusers than any previous pope.

In 2001, though the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he took direct charge of abuse cases, removing them from the hands of local bishops.

He has now, as Pope, instituted tougher training for seminarians, seeking to stop paedophiles becoming priests in the first place.