Mark Coleridge says move to legislate against the sanctity of the confessional will fail to make children saferA move to compel Queensland priests to report child sexual abuse offences disclosed during confessions would fail to make children safer, Brisbane’s Catholic archbishop has said. Mark Coleridge has opposed a state government plan to legislate against the sanctity of the confessional as an excuse, defence or privilege. Hillsong founder Brian Houston refused to answer questions over father's child abuse, police told MPs Read moreThe Queensland government’s proposed law is in line with a recommendation from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. It includes a failure to protect offence carrying up to five years in prison, and up to three for failing to report abuse. If the law is passed, child sex offenders would also be stopped from using their community standing to lessen their sentence, in circumstances where it factors into their crimes.

Source: The Guardian January 16, 2020 06:11 UTC