Via America’s Lawyer: The attorney general for Washington DC is proposing a new bill that would require members of the clergy to report suspected child abuse or neglect to authorities. Mike Papantonio explains more.
Transcript:
*This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos.
And finally, tonight, some good news. The attorney general for Washington DC is proposing a new bill that would require members of the clergy to report suspected child abuse or neglect to authorities. This bill would force religious leaders into a category known as mandatory reporters, a group that includes teachers, social workers, and healthcare providers, and many others.
As it stands right now, pastors, priests, rabbis and other religious leaders are not, are not included in this list, and don’t face any consequences if they fail to report abuse. Considering the abuses that have been documented from the religious figures in recent years, this bill makes perfect sense. If it’s put into effect, it would force members of the clergy to tell the authorities or face legal consequences when they try to cover up the abuse taking place right at their hands with their colleagues.
