Court: Man can sue Vatican for alleged abuse

For the first time in the American judicial system, a court has ruled that a man alleging abuse by a Roman Catholic priest can sue the Vatican for not only liability but fraud. In a 59-page decision issued Tuesday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a man who says he was sexually assaulted in the 1960s by a religious order priest can pursue civil litigation against the Holy See. Lawyers for the victim argue that in a hierarchy such as the Catholic Church, decisions come down from Rome and therefore leaders there should be held responsible for clergy sex abuse and attempts to cover it up.