IF an adult believes a sexual offence has been committed against a child, it’s now a crime if they don’t report it to police, says Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay.
New laws for reporting child abuse started in the ACT yesterday (September 1) after an expansion of mandatory reporters and changes to the Reportable Conduct Scheme.
“Ministers of religion, religious leaders and members of the clergy of a church or religious denomination will be mandated reporters,” Mr Ramsay says.
“There is no exception under the new failure to report offence for information about child sexual abuse disclosed in a religious confession.
“The recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse provide a framework for making our society a safer place for children and ensuring our systems respond better to victims.”
Further information via act.gov.au/
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