A bill to compel priests to break the confessional seal to report child sexual abuse cases gets bipartisan support in Queensland Parliament in line with recommendations from the royal commission.
Priests in Queensland will now be compelled to break the seal of confession to report child sexual abuse or face three years in jail.It enacts a recommendation of the child sexual abuse royal commissionNew laws passed through Queensland Parliament will force members of the clergy to report known or suspected cases of abuse to police.
The legislation means religious institutions and their members are no longer able to use the sanctity of confessional as a defence or excuse in child sex abuse matters."The requirement and quite frankly the moral obligation to report concerning behaviours towards everyone applies to everyone in this community," he said.The laws apply to information received from now, even if it relates to abuse that occurred in the past.
"How confident can the people of Queensland be that they live in a free and open democracy governed by the rule of law, where the state jails its bishops?"Earlier this year, Brisbane Catholic Archbishop Mark Coleridge told the ABC he believed breaking the confessional seal would "not make a difference to the safety of young people".
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