U.N. report puts pressure on Catholic orders in Ireland over laundries

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Advocacy groups for women forced to work at the Catholic Church's notorious Magdalene laundries in Ireland backed calls from the United Nations for religious orders to pay compensation and face prosecution for decades of abuse.

In an unprecedented report on Wednesday, the U.N. demanded that the Vatican "immediately remove" all clergy who are known or suspected child abusers. It also urged the Holy See to conduct an investigation into the laundries.