Pope Francis has set up a Committee to fight child abuse in the Catholic Church and offer pastoral care to victims. It follows a recommendation from a council of cardinals he has established to advise him.

The precise membership of the new committee will be announced "in the near future".

However reports say its role is likely to involve forming child protection guidelines, improving screening of priests, examining ways to help victims and coordinating cooperation with authorities over abuse cases.

The proposal of was first discussed on Wednesday and the Pope immediately approved the suggestion on Thursday, according to the Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley.

Pope Francis has previously insisted he would act against any sex abuse cases within the Roman Catholic Church.

Speaking in April, the Pontiff asked for "stepped-up measures to protect minors and help those who were subjected to such violence in the past". He said combating such cases is important "for the Church and its credibility".

The Vatican says it continues to receive around 600 claims against abusive priests every year, with many of them dating back to the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

Pope Francis has said he wants the Catholic Church to "act decisively" to root out sexual abuse of children by priests and ensure the perpetrators are punished.