Two of Utah’s largest faiths told FOX 13 News they will not oppose a new bill that seeks to make it easier for ecclesiastical leaders to report abuse, without fear of breaking vows.
Rep. Anthony Loubet, R-Kearns, has introduced House Bill 432 that allows clergy to report abuse that is ongoing — not disclose something that occurred in the past. In exchange, they and their faith will be granted immunity.
“If they do report? They do get liability and criminal liability protections,” Rep. Loubet said in a recent interview with FOX 13 News.
That means they can’t be sued or even called as a witness in court. The bill makes it a “passive reporting” versus a “mandatory reporting” that some faiths vehemently opposed in the past. They worried that with mandating abuse disclosures, it would pierce the seal of the confessional and violate First Amendment religious freedom rights. But faiths have come under fire for not reporting disclosures of abuses in the past that have led to civil lawsuits.