Vatican needs to add security, deal quickly with crime, judge says

Published: 2004-01-16

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican needs to consider ways to increase its security and deal more quickly with crimes committed on its territory, a Vatican judge said. The Vatican's status as an independent geographic enclave surrounded by Italy and the fact that it draws millions of foreign visitors -- including a few criminals -- means that it should consider joining international structures aimed at promoting freedom of movement together with security, said Nicola Picardi, promoter of justice in the Tribunal of Vatican City State. Picardi presented a summary of the Vatican civic court's activity in 2003 during a Jan. 16 meeting marking the beginning of the new judicial year. "The phenomenon of international terrorism seems, in fact, to require new forms of cooperation aimed at reconciling people's freedom to circulate with perfecting measures to safeguard security," Picardi said.

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .