Individuals with predatory intentions often seek authority over others and access to vulnerable people. While many people who pursue religious vocations have good intentions, some may be bad actors. Historically, clergy members from a variety of different denominations, including the Catholic Church, have abused their authority and children in their care.
In some cases, it may be possible to take legal action against individual members of the clergy or the organization that empowered an abuser. The law has begun to change to make it easier to hold clergy members and other religious leaders accountable for engaging in the sexual abuse of children. A new law in Washington might set an example for other jurisdictions seeking to improve accountability.
What did Washington do?
The governor in Washington recently signed a bill into law that makes members of the clergy mandatory reporters. Much like health care professionals and teachers, priests and other clergy members now have a legal obligation to report information about sex abuse to the authorities.
This new law is currently the subject of legal controversy. Absolute confidentiality is a cornerstone of the sacrament of reconciliation, which often involves confession to a priest. People disclose their misconduct to priests because they know the priest cannot tell others what they say.
Under the new law, priests who do not report confessions of sexual abuse could be at risk of prosecution. Should the law hold up under scrutiny as the challenges to it make their way through the court system, other states, including Louisiana, may eventually pass similar measures.
People hoping to hold clergy members or specific religious organizations accountable for sexual abuse typically need to understand the law. Discussing what happened with a legal professional can sometimes be the first step toward justice after a religious authority figure abuses their position.