Priests are not Bound to Report Sexual Abuse: Louisiana Supreme Court

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The Louisiana Supreme Court issued a ruling on 28^th October 2016 that it should not be considered compulsory for Catholic priests to report during performing the confession service. This decision was made due to a lawsuit of 2009 presented by the parents of Rebecca Mayeux. She was 14 years old when she informed a priest Fr. Jeffery Bayhi that she was sexually abused by a member of the parish during confession. The documents of court indicated that the abuse was not reported by the priest, but her parents stressed that priest Bayhi should be considered a mandatory reporter to report about abuse. It is important that the designation of mandatory reporter normally refers to adults in a number of official fields that are bound in providing a report to concerned authorities if reporter found any child abused or harmed.

Point to be noted that “mandatory reporters” include professions of public trust such as Police Officers, Teachers and Mental Health Practitioners. The court has confirmed that priests have been exempted in the Law of Louisiana for being mandatory reporters during exchange of confidential communications and confession services. By involving priests to report about confidential discussion during confession would push them to breach Catholic codes. The court also ruled that it would place them at danger for excommunication and it would disregard their freedom to their religion practice. But, if the priest collect information except the confessional communication that a child was being harmed or abused, then it is his duty to provide a report. Despite all the factors, priests should encourage people to report about harm or abuse of children to the authorities.