SCIENTIFIC MEETING ON PEDOPHILIA CONCLUDES IN VATICAN

VATICAN CITY, APR 5, 2003 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following statement to journalists this morning:

"A scientific meeting on the theme of pedophilia took place in the Vatican from April 2 to 5.

"Attending the symposium, promoted by the Pontifical Academy for Life, were the most qualified experts on this subject, who came from the United States, Canada and Germany. Other participants included specialists in recovery therapy (rehabilitation) of persons affected by this problem.

"There were also representatives of various dicasteries of the Roman Curia: the Congregations for the Doctrine of the Faith, for Clergy, for Religious, for Catholic Education and from the Secretariat of State.

"During the meeting the theme of pedophilia was considered from a purely scientific and clinical point of view. The reports given at the meeting, as well as the protocols regarding its development, will be published in several months.

"The experts participating in the meeting included: Doctors Jorg M. Fegert, medical director of the Clinic and Polyclinic for Child and Youth Psychiatry/Psychotherapy at the University of Ulm,Germany; Karl Hanson, Department of the Solicitor General of Canada, Ottawa, Canada; Martin P. Kafka, Harvard Medical School, USA; Hans Krober, director of the Institute for Forensic Psychiatry, Free University of Berlin, Germany; Ron Langevin, University of Toronto, Canada; William Marshall, Queen's University, Ontario, Canada; Friedemann Pfafflin, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, head of the section for Forensic Psychotherapy at the University of Ulm, president of the International Society for Treatment of Sex Offenders, Germany; Christian Reimer, director of the Clinic for Psychosomatic Illness and Psychotherapy, University of Giessen, Germany."

OP;MEETING PEDOPHILIA;...;NAVARRO-VALLS;VIS;20030407;Word: 280;