Palaszczuk moves to break seal of confessional

The Queensland Premier will introduce laws to compel priests to report admissions of child abuse.

The Queensland government will introduce a bill aimed to break the seal of the confessional. Picture: AAP

Queensland’s Labor government will move to break the seal of the confessional to compel priests to report to police admissions of child sexual abuse.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk made the announcement in state parliament this morning, indicating that the government would adopt the recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: AAP

“We owe it to those victims and we owe it to our communities,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“Today I announce we will introduce laws compelling priests of all religions to report the confessions of child abusers as other professionals are required to do.

“Teachers, doctors, nurses, child care workers and school principals have no choice but to report to authorities crimes against children.

“The same should apply to religious organisations. I know that there are strongly and sincerely-held views that some things are sacred.

“I absolutely respect people have the right to their religion but not at the risk of a child’s safety.

“It will be an offence to not report or not protect the victim of a child abuser, religious confession or not.”

However, the ABC said Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath last year said: “there is nothing in Queensland’s statute which allows a member of the clergy to refuse to disclose the contents of a religious confession”.

Ms D’Ath this morning tweeted in response to ABC journalist Allyson Horn.

“That’s correct however we are introducing a new offence of a Failure to Report and making it clear that a religious confession cannot be used as an excuse, defence or privilege for this offence, as per (Recommendation) 35 of the Criminal Justice Report which strengthens our laws,” Ms D’Ath tweeted.

The move follows a similar bill introduced in Victorian parliament last week.

The Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, Peter Comensoli, said he’ll go to jail before he breaks the seal of confession.

“I hold the principle of mandatory reporting,” he told ABC Radio Melbourne.

“I also hold onto the principle of the seal of confession.

“My own position is that I don’t see that as mutually exclusive.”

In Queensland currently, doctors, registered nurses, teachers, police officers and early childhood educators are required to report a reasonable suspicion of child physical or sexual abuse under the Child Protection Act 1999.

However, that is a civil offence, not a criminal offence.

Today’s announcement means it will become a criminal offence for failing to report, and the obligation will extend to priests who have received the information in a confessional.

A spokesman for Ms D’Ath explained that last year’s comments to the ABC related to priests not being exempt from giving evidence in court about child sexual abuse confessed to them.