Vatican opens ‘Vatileaks’ trial

(September 29, 2012) The Vatican on Saturday opened the public trial of the Pope's former butler for allegedly stealing and leaking confidential papal correspondence in a scandal that has come to be known as ‘Vatileaks’. Paolo Gabriele, a 46-year-old father of three, faces up to four years in prison if he is convicted of aggravated theft. He has already confessed, saying he acted to shed light on what he called `'evil and corruption'' in the church, and asked to be pardoned by the Pope. Standing trial along with Gabriele is also a computer expert, Claudio Sciarpelletti who worked in the Vatican Secretariat of State. He is on trial on lesser charges of abetting the crime. . Gabriele who was arrested on May 24 arrest, is accused of taking the pope's correspondences, photocopying the documents and handing them off to Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi, whose book ``His Holiness: The secret papers of Pope Benedict XVI,'' alleges corruption and power struggle inside the Vatican.
The trial opened inside the austere, wood-trimmed courtroom of the Vatican tribunal, housed in a four-story palazzo inside the walls of Vatican City. Gabriele was at the tribunal along with his lawyer Cristiana Arru, while Sciarpelletti was represented by his advocate Gianluca Benedetti. Journalists covering the trial were required to leave their mobile telephones outside during the proceedings. No television, still cameras or recording devices were allowed and the court transcripts were not available to the public. Access to Gabriele's trial is limited, in part due to space constraints: While the court is technically open to the public, those requesting access must petition the judges to be allowed in. Eight journalists are allowed to attend each session and report back to the Vatican press corps. The duration of the trial will depend in large part on the number of objections to the indictment and witness lists.