The Roman Catholic Church came in for blistering criticism from a UN committee that was quizzing its representatives for the first time.

Critics say the Vatican enabled the rape of thousands of children by protecting paedophile priests to save its reputation.

While the Church's envoys have now admitted the Holy See was slow to address the crisis, they say it has now drawn up clear guidelines to protect children from predatory priests.

Al Jazeera's Simon McGregor-Wood reports from Geneva.