On the other hand, it must be understood that child sexual abuse is a heinous crime - and in most jurisdictions is a grave civil crime - for which there are severe penalties. The Vatican is a signatory to a number of international conventions including the Convention against Torture that states child abuse is a form of torture due to its degrading, cruel and punitive nature. If the Vatican wants credibility within this world, child abuse by clerics does have to be met with appropriate punishments. God may be Merciful to the soul of the abuser when it come to the Judgement and the Church can counsel the abuser in the spiritual domain. However, the Church should not provide a lesser punishment to a priest who has abused children than that which prevails in the civil legal jurisdictions of this world. Abuse is a crime before both God and man. Christ said, "Suffer not little children to come unto me". There is an imperative there that places the child uniquely within Christ's protection.