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Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Slideshow Full Focus Editor's choice A selection of our top photos from the past 24 hours. Full Article Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Special Report: An end to AIDS? 11:52am EDT Germany: sharp rise in E.coli cases, source unknown | 10:18am EDT Company from Virginia bus crash taken off the road 10:21am EDT Special report: If Monterrey falls, Mexico falls | 2:35pm EDT CSU forecasts five major hurricanes in 2011 season 2:23pm EDT Discussed 64 Judge voids controversial Wisconsin union law 52 Speculation grows over Sarah Palin’s 2012 plans 51 Air France jet crashed nose-up after 4 minute ordeal Watched Massive Australian waterspout caught on film Mon, May 30 2011 Scientists revive ancient spider in stunning 3D detail Tue, May 24 2011 GM pulls the plug Fri, May 27 2011 Belgian abuse victims to file suit against Vatican Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Belgian Catholic abuse victims to be compensated Mon, May 30 2011 Strauss-Kahn assembles crisis team to fight back Sun, May 29 2011 Strauss-Kahn's lawyers complain about police leaks Thu, May 26 2011 Astronauts offer Pope unique view of Earth's woes Sat, May 21 2011 Europe races to claim top job at IMF Fri, May 20 2011 Analysis & Opinion Guestview: How Catholic should a Catholic charity be? The hardship of pro bono clients, Steven Simkin edition Related Topics World » 1 / 2 Belgian lawyers Walter Van Steenbrugge (L) and Christine Mussche (2nd L) arrive at a news conference in Ghent June 1, 2011. Lawyers representing sexual abuse victims announced a class action suit against the Catholic Church because of the abuse scandal. They plan to name the Belgian bishops, heads of religious orders and the Vatican. Credit: Reuters/Eric Vidal GHENT, Belgium | Wed Jun 1, 2011 2:02pm EDT GHENT, Belgium (Reuters) - Belgians molested by Catholic priests will go ahead with their legal proceedings against the Vatican for damages despite an offer by local bishops to compensate them, their lawyers said on Wednesday. Pope Benedict enjoys diplomatic immunity but other Vatican officials and Belgian bishops will be summoned to testify in the case, lawyer Walter van Steenbrugge said. Christine Mussche, another lawyer for about 70 victims, said the Vatican failed to intervene even when it learned about the scandals in the Belgian Church. Over 500 cases of alleged abuse have been registered in the past year. "There were instructions from the pope that said those things had to be kept secret and silent," she said, adding the Church could be guilty of harmful neglect under Belgian law. The Belgian bishops' conference said on Monday that it would set up a commission to compensate victims molested so long ago that their cases can no longer be prosecuted. Some reported cases go back several decades. "As long as there are no concrete results from the arbitrage commission, the victims will continue the procedure," Mussche told a news conference. Several victims explained why they were part of the suit which the lawyers said they would file in Ghent in September. "All the security I had in my life was gone because the priest who abused me and whom I had trusted had shaken me to the core," said Walter Franckaert, now 58. Fighting to hold back tears, Jeroen Vyncke, 41, said he wanted "a just compensation (for) missed professional chances and the lack of long-term social relationships." U.S. PRECEDENTS Mussche said the text of the summons will be translated into Italian and delivered to the Vatican in the next few days. The Belgian lawyers appeared to be taking a page from the legal strategy of attorneys representing clerical abuse victims in the United States, where several such suits have been filed. In one case concerning a priest in Milwaukee, the summons was served in April through U.S. diplomatic channels after the Vatican refused to accept them when sent by a courier service. Another case was filed in Chicago last month. Vatican lawyers have argued that victims cannot sue the pope because he enjoys diplomatic immunity. They also say the Vatican cannot be drawn into cases abroad because the local diocese, and not Catholicism's world headquarters, employs the priests. Steenbrugge disputed part of that argument. "The Holy See is the central organ of the Catholic Church and has legal status in international law," he said. "The pope himself is immune." Hundreds of victims of abuse in the Belgian Church came forward after the former bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, admitted in April 2010 to abusing his own nephew for years. A church inquiry into decades of abuse cases later said that 13 victims had committed suicide because they were molested. Similar scandals have rocked the Catholic Church in Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands over the past two years. Pope Benedict has apologized for the abuse and issued tougher new standards to have bishops report abuse to local police. (Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; Editing by Tom Heneghan and Elizabeth Fullerton) World Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language, all capital letters or appear to be spam, and we review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. 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