Australia church abuse: Priests ‘must report’ confessions; About Time + Will they report themselves?

Priests who fail to report child abuse heard in confession should be charged, an Australian inquiry says.

It is among 85 new proposals following a four-year landmark inquiry into institutional abuse in the nation.

The inquiry had heard harrowing tales of abuse, which were never passed onto the relevant authorities.

The recommendations will now be put to legislators.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which began in 2013, heard accounts from thousands of victims.

In some cases, paedophile priests had made admissions during Church confession in the knowledge that they would not be relayed to police.

Source: Australia church abuse: Priests ‘must report’ confessions – BBC News