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| Pope butler's 'helper' Claudio Sciarpelletti on trial | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| A computer technician has gone on trial in the Vatican City charged with aiding and abetting the Pope's former butler in stealing papal documents. | |
| Claudio Sciarpelletti is accused of helping Paolo Gabriele leak the confidential documents while working in the Vatican's Secretariat of State. | Claudio Sciarpelletti is accused of helping Paolo Gabriele leak the confidential documents while working in the Vatican's Secretariat of State. |
| Gabriele was given an 18-month prison sentence by the same court last month. | Gabriele was given an 18-month prison sentence by the same court last month. |
| He admitted passing documents to a journalist, but said he did it out of love for the church and the Pope. | He admitted passing documents to a journalist, but said he did it out of love for the church and the Pope. |
| The former butler is serving his sentence in a special detention room inside the Vatican's police station, amid talk that he may be pardoned by Pope Benedict XVI. | The former butler is serving his sentence in a special detention room inside the Vatican's police station, amid talk that he may be pardoned by Pope Benedict XVI. |
| Wider conspiracy? | Wider conspiracy? |
| Mr Sciarpelletti, 48, handled secret communications in Secretariat of State, the nerve centre of the Roman Catholic church, the BBC's David Willey reports from Rome. | Mr Sciarpelletti, 48, handled secret communications in Secretariat of State, the nerve centre of the Roman Catholic church, the BBC's David Willey reports from Rome. |
| Investigators say he helped Gabriele leak the confidential documents to the Italian media. | Investigators say he helped Gabriele leak the confidential documents to the Italian media. |
| Mr Sciarpelletti was arrested briefly in May, but then released after the Vatican said he played only a "marginal" role in the scandal. | Mr Sciarpelletti was arrested briefly in May, but then released after the Vatican said he played only a "marginal" role in the scandal. |
| Interest in the case centres on who the witnesses called to give evidence may be, our correspondent says. A senior cleric and two top Vatican security officials are expected to be called. | Interest in the case centres on who the witnesses called to give evidence may be, our correspondent says. A senior cleric and two top Vatican security officials are expected to be called. |
| It is thought the trial may throw a light on the extent to which other Vatican employees, including clerics, may have been involved. | It is thought the trial may throw a light on the extent to which other Vatican employees, including clerics, may have been involved. |
| The Vatican has always insisted Gabriele acted alone, but some believe he was part of a wider conspiracy to publicise sensitive information. | The Vatican has always insisted Gabriele acted alone, but some believe he was part of a wider conspiracy to publicise sensitive information. |
| Much of the stolen information ended up in a best-selling book by journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi about corruption, scandals and infighting at the Vatican. | Much of the stolen information ended up in a best-selling book by journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi about corruption, scandals and infighting at the Vatican. |
| Gabriele confessed to taking the papers, but said he believed the Pope was being manipulated, and that he hoped to reveal alleged corruption at the Vatican. | Gabriele confessed to taking the papers, but said he believed the Pope was being manipulated, and that he hoped to reveal alleged corruption at the Vatican. |
| The Vatican authorities are limiting press access to Mr Sciarpelletti's trial and no TV cameras are to be allowed in court, our correspondent says. | The Vatican authorities are limiting press access to Mr Sciarpelletti's trial and no TV cameras are to be allowed in court, our correspondent says. |