Vatileaks II Trial: More evidence to be submitted

(Vatican Radio) The Vatican tribunal hearing the criminal case in the leaking of confidential documents – the so-called “Vatileaks II” case – resumed work on Monday morning.

The defendants - three officials and two journalists – were at the trial, with their lawyers.

According to a statement released by the Holy See Press Office, the morning’s session dealt primarily with the requests submitted the previous week by the defense.

The Court refused a request by Francesca Immacolata Chaouqui for dismissal of charges based upon lack of jurisdiction – reaffirming the laws place the case “without uncertainty” in the jurisdiction of the Court of the Vatican City State, and noting she had previously acknowledged this fact.

The Court refused a request for a psychological expert for Msgr. Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda, since the court only admits “psychiatric” experts, not “psychological” ones – but adding any relevant personality and behaviour issues of the accused would be adequately ascertained from the trial.

However, the Court allowed almost all of the other requests: An expert requested by Ms. Chaouqui to look at computers and mobile phones; and the acquisition of several documents requested by the defence (texts of e-mails, text messages, various newspaper articles, and previously performed psychiatric evaluation pertaining to Msgr. Vallejo Balda)

The Tribunal also admitted the request presented by the defence for additional witnesses to be called, including figures such as Cardinals Abril y Castelló and Parolin, among others.

On Monday, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, also made a statement defending the process of the trial, stating within the courts of the Vatican City State there “exist all the procedural guarantees characteristic of the most advanced contemporary legal systems.”