State supreme court rules in case of two bishops who were silent about three children abused by Mormon parents

State supreme court rules in case of two bishops who were silent about three children abused by Mormon parents

Clergy members in Arizona who learn of child abuse in the context of religious confession are not required to report it, the state’s supreme court has said in a ruling that protects what church leaders call the “seal of the confessional”.

The panel’s ruling ends a long-running case in which three children who were sexually abused by their parents sued the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), also known as the Mormon church, and two bishops who became aware of the crimes but remained silent.

The case has parallels in a short-lived 2025 law in Washington state that would have compelled clergy members there to report sexual abuse. That proposal was permanently withdrawn in October after legal action by the Catholic church.

In a statement, the LDS welcomed the unanimous ruling by the state supreme court on Thursday that exempts clergy members as “mandated reporters” if they learned of the abuse of minors in the confession booth or through other “confidential” methods.

  • wheezy@lemmy.mlEnglish
    18·
    3 days ago

    The the equivalent of including anyone that’s ever called 911 in ACAB.

      • wheezy@lemmy.mlEnglish
        35·
        3 days ago

        It’s an analogy mate. “Them not being police officers” is a difference not important to the core of the analogy.

        You’re looking at something like “a pen is to write as a knife is cut” and saying “a knife can write by carving”.

        But it would be dumb to generalize all “911 callers” as ACAB. It would be correct to criticize the “911 callers” that use the institutions of white supremacy to harass and abuse black people. That’s the point. There is a line between “Christian church attendees” and “the church” itself. That line is can be crossed by attendees. But they are not the church themselves.

        Same goes for “911 callers”. All pay taxes and some benefit and exploit the the structures of white supremacy.

        I’m all for “all Catholic priest are bastards” as their relationship with the church cannot exist without knowledge of its crimes and the institutional backing of those crimes. They uphold the structures directly.

        But to say that “all Catholics are bastards” would be removing the material reasons for the ACPAB and instead placing the claim within the framing of Idealism

        • SnoopSqueak@lemmy.today
          33·
          3 days ago

          But to say that “all Catholics are bastards” would be removing the material reasons for the ACPAB and instead placing the claim within the framing of Idealism

          All theists are bastards for selfishly repeating baseless, deadly claims as facts.

          Let’s grow up, please, magic isn’t real.