The flood of allegations, lawsuits and official reports into clerical abuse reached a peak in 2009 and 2010, which observers say may explain the spike shown in the document.

The Holy See is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a legally binding instrument which commits it to protecting and nurturing the most vulnerable in society.

It ratified the convention in 1990 but after an implementation report in 1994 it did not submit any progress reports until 2017, following revelations of child sex abuse in Europe and beyond.

Last month, the Vatican refused a request from the UN's Committee on the Rights of the Child for data on abuse, on the grounds that it only released such information if requested to do so by another country as part of legal proceedings.

In a homily on Thursday, Benedict's successor, Pope Francis, called abuse scandals "the shame of the Church".

He announced in December that a Vatican committee would be set up to fight sexual abuse of children in the Church.

据英国广播公司报道，在2009年和2010年间，大量有关神职人员性虐儿童的指控、诉讼和官方报道已经沸腾了。

梵蒂冈是联合国《儿童权利公约》的签署者。这是一份具有法律约束力的文书，承诺保护和照顾儿童。

1990年，罗马教会批准了这个公约。但是在1994年的执行报告后，直到2017年才提交了进展报道，在欧洲和其他地区儿童受到性虐曝光后。

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