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	Bill Would Force Clergy to Report Sex Abuse Some Local Ministers Oppose Planned Law By Kent Mallett The Advocate [Ohio] March 16, 2005 NEWARK -- Clergy would be required to report suspected sexual abuse according to a bill pending in the Ohio Senate. The Senate Criminal Justice Committee was expected to vote today on the bill, which allows victims of child sexual abuse that happened as long ago as 1970 to sue alleged perpetrators under Ohio law. To become law, the bill must also pass the full Senate, which could consider it today. The bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Robert Spada, would require clergy and other church leaders to report abuse they suspect is being committed by other clergy or church leaders. Rev. Joseph Leonard, president of the Licking County Ministerial Association and pastor of First Baptist Church of Newark, said the requirement could create some problems for clergy. "It does begin to address issues of confidentiality within the clergy, which is a concern of mine," Leonard said. "They need to have a sense of confidentiality, but that doesn't mean you keep everything secret." Leonard said he would feel ethically required to report abuse if he was certain it occurred. "Most denominations would voluntarily offer that information just out of concern for the victim, but are they going to hold clergy legally responsible?" he asked. "'Suspected' and 'known' are two very different things." State law already requires professionals including doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, social workers and day care employees to report suspected child abuse cases to child protection agencies or police. The lawsuits could come even though the deadlines under law for reporting such abuse passed years or decades ago, according to the new version of the bill. Victims would have one year to file such a claim after the law takes effect. The bill would also change the deadline for filing abuse claims from one year after turning 18 years old to 20 years later. State Sen. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark, said he has not decided which way he'll vote on the bill, but generally agrees with the concept of requiring clergy to report abuse. "I understand some of the ministers' concerns about government coming in and making requirements," he said, "but in this case I think they're wrong. "They think it opens up a Pandora's box. I'm certainly sympathetic to that, but I'm much more sympathetic to the victims of sexual abuse. It's just a common-sense measure." Hottinger said he's unsure about the provision allowing the one-year window of opportunity to file lawsuits concerning abuse as far back as 1970. The Catholic Conference of Ohio, which supports the clergy portion of the bill, opposes allowing the retroactive filing of lawsuits.
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