The Crime of Child Pornography in Vatican Criminal Law. Legal Developments from the Zanardelli Criminal Code to Current Special Criminal Law

This article studies the crimes of child pornography and possession of child pornography in the context of the Vatican criminal law system. Starting from the connection between pedophilia and child pornography, the study focuses on the analysis of the differences between these two types of crime in order to identify the defining characteristics of each. The difference between child pornography and pornography of minors was also highlighted. A close reading of the laws comprising the Zanardelli Code discloses its limitations, an inability to prove or punish new criminal cases. Thus, the legislative body proceeded to update and adapt the criminal law with a range of measures designed to enable the Vatican system meet emerging needs in relation to new types of crime. The final section of the paper explores the evolving Vatican regulatory response to the crimes of child pornography and possession of child pornography.