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LETTER: Child protection law

 

SIR, – I am pleased to report to The Weekly Advertiser readers a significant change to the law which I believe will better protect children.

Under the law passed in Parliament last week, religious and spiritual leaders must report child abuse to authorities, even if it was heard in the confessional.

The new law delivers on a key election commitment and means people in religious ministries are now mandated reporters to child protection and the confessional seal must be lifted for suspected sexual abuse of children.



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Priests and spiritual leaders in religious ministries will now join teachers, police, medical practitioners, nurses, school counsellors, early-childhood and youth-justice workers as mandated reporters.

In addition, the new laws ensure disclosures of abuse during religious confession are not exempt under the Failure to Disclose offence contained in the Crimes Act – meaning those who don’t report abuse face up to three years in prison.

These changes – supported by all parties in the Parliament – mean Victoria is a safer place for children because special treatment for churches has come to an end.

As a society, we can’t undo the harm to so many children in the past, but this will help ensure it never happens again.

Jaala Pulford

Member for Western Victoria

The entire September 18, 2019 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!