SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA)
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
September 8, 2020
By Allyson Horn
Priests in Queensland will now be compelled to break the seal of confession to report child sexual abuse or face three years in jail.
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.
Police Minister Mark Ryan said the laws would ensure better protection for vulnerable children.
“The requirement and quite frankly the moral obligation to report concerning behaviours towards children applies to everyone everyone in this community,” he said.
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