Carto:

The catholic church does not get to make up its own special legal system, run by its own people, in order to avoid the justice everybody else must face.

Sadly they do, (make laws) at least in the Vatican. Every priest and bishop is bound by that law as well I believe. So, it's one 'nation' having operatives in other nations who on the surface are law abiding with regards to whatever nation they're in, but also are law abiding to the Vatican. They can (not saying all do or need to) do what the Church demands under cannon law, tell the people they've shafted that they're bound by confession, then the priests refuse to answer to the (civil) law of whatever nation they're in because confession is 'sacred' and demand the victims keep mum too or be excommunicated. I think some duristictions respect confession as well. They're certainly be pressure from believers to respect it.

After all, the blessed sacrement of confession more important than (and quite a useful chance to indulge in a bit of) child rape, isn't it?