South Australia set to abolish church confession protections
Adelaide: South Australia is set to become the first state to legally compel clergy to report child sex abuse revealed in confessions.
Under laws set to take effect in October, priests who hear confessions about child abuse will have a legal obligation to report the matter to police.
Not reporting abuse will carry a maximum $10,000 fine, and brings expectations of priests in line with those of social workers, teachers, medical professionals and others in positions of authority.
The state will be the first to adopt a royal commission recommendation to remove the mandatory reporting exemption for priests hearing confession.
But the Acting Archbishop of Adelaide said the South Australian Catholic Church had not been made aware of the change which was legislated last year and was now considering its implications.
“Our commitment in South Australia to child protection and child safe environments in unwavering,” Bishop Greg O’Kelly said in a statement.
“Our priests are well aware of their obligations to report child abuse and neglect under mandatory reporting laws. The legislative change extending mandatory reporting to the confessional has much wider implications for the Catholic Church and the practice of our faith.” South Australian Attorney-General Vickie Chapman on Thursday released the government’s response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse.