The Vatican is in trouble once again. According to the New York Times, the International Criminal Court in The Hague has been asked by human rights lawyers, clergy sexual abuse victims and American groups the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests to investigate Pope Benedict XVI and three high-ranking Vatican officials for crimes against humanity. The crimes the groups want the Vatican to be investigated for include what is described as “abetting and covering up the rape and sexual assault of children by priests.”

The complaints states, “The high-level officials of the Catholic church who failed to prevent these criminal actions have, to date, enjoyed absolute impunity.”

There has been no official comment form the Vatican yet, according to the Rev. Fredrico Lombardi, the Vatican’s spokesman, but Mark Ellis, the executive director of the International Bar Association, said the complaint probably doesn’t fall under the heading of “crimes against humanity.” According to Ellis, the complaints are really looking at policy by the government or authorities. “Crimes against humanity means acts that are committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population,” he said.

To view the full story, click here. Also, check out this video on the story by the Huffington Post below.