Rome (CNN) — Pope Francis has laid down a law making it a crime to abuse children sexually or physically on Vatican grounds, the Holy See announced Thursday.
The acts were already crimes under church law, but are now specifically outlawed within the Vatican city-state, which is home to hundreds of people.
The legislation also covers child prostitution and the creation or possession of child pornography.
But it has a “broader scope,” according to Radio Vatican.
It adds provisions of international laws against war crimes, racial discrimination and humiliating treatment or punishment to the Vatican’s legal system.
It includes wording from the Geneva Conventions.
Francis issued the new laws as a “moto proprio,” meaning that the document was his own initiative, Vatican Radio said.
The new criminal laws are part of an ongoing update of the Vatican’s legal system, which began under Pope Benedict.
In April: Pope tells Vatican to ‘act decisively’ sex abuse cases
