UN says Vatican imposed 'code of silence' on children

The UN has called on the Vatican to "immediately remove" all clergy who are known or suspected child abusers.

It denounced the Holy See for adopting policies which allowed priests to sexually abuse thousands of children, and criticised its attitudes towards homosexuality, contraception and abortion.

The Vatican responded by saying it would examine the report - but also accused its authors of interference.

Kirsten Sandberg from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) said there had been a "code of silence" imposed on children.