ABC News: Divisions are emerging in the Australian Catholic community over a controversial call for the seal of the confessional to be broken if a paedophile admits to sexually abusing a child.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has made 85 recommendations into the justice system, including a new criminal offence for failing to report child abuse.
Under the proposed law, Australians could be charged if they know, suspect or should have suspected a child is being molested, and do not go to the police.
That would include members of the clergy who would be breaking the law if they failed to report any abuse divulged to them during confession.
It has triggered a mixed response from the nation’s Catholics. Read more here.
