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R&B singer R. Kelly found guilty in sex trafficking trial

R&B superstar R. Kelly has been found guilty of being the ringleader of a decades-long racketeering and sex trafficking scheme.

Vatican

Pope urges European bishops to listen to sex abuse victims

The supreme pontiff warned that to not acknowledge and learn from victims of rape and molestation could lead to the destruction of the Catholic Church.

Germany

German archbishop's resignation rejected by pope

Pope Frances refused to accept the resignation of the Archbishop of Hamburg, who offered his resignation in March after reported mishandling of sexual abuse cases.

USA

Defrocked cardinal McCarrick charged with sexually assaulting boy

Theodore McCarrick, who was defrocked by Pope Francis over the sexual molestation of children and adults, has been charged with sexually assaulting a teenage boy in the 1970s.

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Vatican

Vatican prosecutor seeks prison for priest in abuse trial

The case is the first to go to trial alleging sexual abuse within the Vatican's walls.

Europe Decoded

Spanish TikTok influencer sued over unprotected sex claims

Spanish authorities say they have "sued" TikTok influencer Naim Darrechi over claims he deceived women before having unprotected sex.

USA

Lawyers granted slight delay in opening of R. Kelly trial

R. Kelly will be on trial for sex trafficking charges in New York City from August. The singer denies ever abusing anyone.

Europe News

EU adopts temporary rules to detect and report online child abuse

The legislation which aims to protect children more effectively from sexual abuse and exploitation when using webmail, chat and messaging services, was backed by MEPs, with 537 voting in favour, 133 against and 24 abstaining.

Germany

Five people sentenced in Germany over child sex abuse scandal

A German court has sentenced five people involved in a child sex abuse ring to between 10 and 14 years in prison.

Poland

Polish Catholic Church reveals hundreds of new sexual abuse claims

From July 2018 to the end of 2020 368 cases of sexual assault, committed between 1958 and last year, were reported to the Polish Catholic Church.

France

French woman convicted of killing 'monster' abuser, set free

Valerie Bacot given a symbolic four-year prison sentence for killing her abusive husband

Germany

Pope Francis rejects resignation of German archbishop Reinhard Marx

Pope Francis has refused to accept the resignation of German archbishop Reinhard Marx over the mishandling of the church sex abuse scandal.

United Kingdom

BAFTA: 'I May Destroy You' wins two main prizes

The drama about a woman dealing with the aftermath of a sexual assault was named best miniseries, while creator and star Michaela Coel won the best actress prize.

Germany

German cardinal resigns over Catholic Church's sexual abuse crisis

Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the Archbishop of Munich and Freising, said that the church had hit a "dead end" but that he hoped there would be a "turning point".

World News

Vatican to criminalise sexual abuse of adults by priests

The Catholic Church is changing its laws to explicitly criminalise sexual abuse of adults by priests, and to include laypeople who hold church office in sanctions for similar crimes.

Democratic Republic Of Congo

European diplomats concerned by WHO sexual abuse reports in Congo

European diplomats have voiced serious concerns about how the World Health Organization has handled sex abuse allegations involving its own staff during an outbreak of Ebola in Congo.

France

French MPs approve law setting age of sexual consent

Any sexual act committed on children under the age of 15 by an adult will be considered rape. The bill still needs to be approved by senators.

France

Emmanuel Macron promises crackdown on incest following online campaign

The French president told victims they would "never be alone again" as he responded to an online conversation that went viral when social media users shared their traumatic stories of childhood incest.

World News

Aid workers' sexual misconduct unveiled by researchers using DNA

Foreign aid workers who fathered children abroad are being revealed by using publicly available DNA databases. Test cases in the Philippines found men from Australia, Canada, the US and Britain had fathered children in the country while doing foreign aid work.

France

French surgeon jailed for 15 years for abusing hundreds of children

In what could be France's largest ever paedophilia case, surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec has been sentenced after being accused of sexually abusing hundreds of children.