{"id":297109,"date":"2019-04-03T10:47:14","date_gmt":"2019-04-03T14:47:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/?p=297109"},"modified":"2019-04-03T10:47:14","modified_gmt":"2019-04-03T14:47:14","slug":"break-the-seal-of-the-confessional-sex-abuse-victim-says-its-time-its-beyond-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2019\/04\/break-the-seal-of-the-confessional-sex-abuse-victim-says-its-time-its-beyond-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Break the Seal of the Confessional? Sex Abuse Victim Says: ‘It’s Time. It’s Beyond Time.’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Disturbing news unfolding in California:\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

A procession of sexual assault victims on Tuesday urged the Senate to pass a law requiring priests and other religious leaders to report child abuse, ending a legal exemption that allows them to keep information confidential if they learn it during confessions.<\/p>\n

One speaker, Kameron Torres, told lawmakers that he was sexually abused twice while growing up in a Jehovah\u2019s Witness community. When his mother learned of the abuse and tried to report it to the church elders, \u201cThey told her, \u2018It\u2019s in God\u2019s hands now,\u201d Torres said.<\/p>\n

Torres has since left that community, but said his abusers are still there and still in positions of power over potential victims.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe universe is telling us to protect the children,\u201d Torres said.<\/p>\n

While members of the clergy are considered mandated reporters of abuse \u2014 meaning state law compels them to inform the police if they suspect a child being abused \u2014 there is an exemption to that requirement if the priest learns of the abuse through \u201cpenitential communication,\u201d such as the Catholic rite of confession.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Senate Bill 360 erases that exemption, and puts \u201creligious folks on a level playing field with other mandated reporters,\u201d such as doctors, lawyers and mental heath professionals, said Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley.<\/div>\n

\u2026After the hearing Tuesday, Torres said he was confident in SB 360\u2019s prospects.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we have a strong argument. I think it\u2019s pretty obvious they (those who opposed the bill) didn\u2019t. It\u2019s time. It\u2019s beyond time,\u201d he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read more.\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Disturbing news unfolding in California:\u00a0 A procession of sexual assault victims on Tuesday urged the Senate to pass a law requiring priests and other religious leaders to report child abuse, ending a legal exemption that allows them to keep information confidential if they learn it during confessions. One speaker, Kameron Torres, told lawmakers that he […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":20276,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,46],"tags":[181],"class_list":["post-297109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ripped-from-the-headlines","category-sacraments","tag-california"],"yoast_head":"\nBreak the Seal of the Confessional? Sex Abuse Victim Says: 'It's Time. 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