One would think that anyone who knows about child abuse should and would report it, but laws regarding this must become stricter. Currently, it is mandatory for educators and health care workers to report but it should also be required among youth, sports, and cultural groups, religious leaders, and, in my opinion, everyone in the general public.
President Carlos Alvarado has asked to discuss a bill that would force priests to denounce cases of sexual assaults and other abuses against minors that they hear about in confessions.
The Catholic Church has described this as a “danger to religious freedom.” One could ask whether religious freedom or the safety of children is more important. Still, the church insists that a priest would be excommunicated if he were to share anything shared in confession. Under the bill in discussion, the priest would be exposed to economic sanctions for not reporting the case as well as if he were to refuse testifying in court when summoned.
Complaints of sexual abuse against minors increased by 74% from 2004 to 2017. From 2006 to 2013, the daily cases of abuse attended to in the National Children’s Hospital increased from 9% to 26%. In 2018, there were 8,229 complaints of sexual abuse against minors.
