Pope butler likely to stand trial

Pope Benedict XVI’s butler is likely to be charged with leaking confidential papers, his lawyer said yesterday, days before a Vatican judge is expected to rule on whether Paolo Gabriele will stand trial. “We expect a formal charge,” lawyer Carlo Fusco...

Pope Benedict XVI’s butler is likely to be charged with leaking confidential papers, his lawyer said yesterday, days before a Vatican judge is expected to rule on whether Paolo Gabriele will stand trial.

“We expect a formal charge,” lawyer Carlo Fusco told Italian news agency Ansa. The Vatican has said the decision over whether Mr Gabriele will be charged with “aggravated theft” is expected some time between Thursday and Saturday.

The 46-year-old was arrested in May during an investigation into the leak of private papal documents to the media.

He was held for 53 days in a Vatican cell before being put under house arrest in July.

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