Catholic Church Backs Mandatory Reporting

By Petrina Berry
Daily Telegraph
August 14, 2012

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/business/breaking-news/catholic-church-backs-mandatory-reporting/story-e6freuz0-1226450163555

THE Catholic Church in Brisbane says it supports an inquiry's suggestion that religious authorities should be required by law to report suspected child abuse.

The Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry has raised extending mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse to include priests, churches and other religious organisations.

Teachers, police, nurses, doctors and child safety offices are already required by law to report suspected child abuse and neglect.

Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge issued a statement on Tuesday saying he supports mandatory reporting.

"The Archdiocesan Education authorities already comply with similar statutory mandatory reporting," Archbishop Coleridge said.

He said he would be happy to work with inquiry Commissioner Tim Carmody to identify who in the church should be subject to mandatory reporting, and the Archdiocese would prepare a submission to the inquiry.

"The sexual abuse of the young is a heinous criminal offence," he said.

"Clergy or others in authority within the Church who are guilty of this crime have no place in Church ministry and should be subjected to the full processes of the criminal law."