Yuyutsu, lets look at the reality. In NSW we have very good laws that compel doctors to report to police their suspicions of child abuse. Time and again charges have been laid following these reports. Before such laws were in place at best reports were infrequent, if at all. Today the police spend a lot of time at the Children's Hospital interviewing and then laying charges against abousers, doctors are very good at identifying child abuse, despite the erroneous stories of the perpetrators and their partners. Do you agree with this law.

There is a place in society for civil disobedience, but its not to be confused with protecting criminals from prosecution. There are laws about hindering police investigations, or being an accessory before or after the fact, laws on perjury etc, all necessary laws in my view.

Dear Paul,

Have you read my first post from Thursday, 24 May 2018 11:42:18 PM?

If you did, then it should be evident that I would never agree with such terrible laws.

Look at the impossible predicament of the doctor: if he doesn't report what he knows, then he will be imprisoned for up to 2 years, but if he does report, then he will be imprisoned for perhaps 10-15 years.

If I were in place of that doctor and happened to hear about a case of child abuse, my best option would be to rush to the airport and take the first plane out of Australia, never to return - damned either way, who would ever want to be a doctor, a psychologist or a counsellor?

Further, what about paedophiles who are remorseful and want to straighten up their ways? Knowing that professional helpers are obliged to dob them in, they would never seek help. Conscientious victims too, or such victims who understand the law of karma, will also avoid help if they know that the professional helper is obliged to report the perpetrator even against their own wishes. Also what about such cases of adult-underage sexual contact where no abuse actually took place, where the "abuser" and "victim" were and remain in harmony and the condition of paedophilia is only technical? Should doctors be forced to ruin both lives (and their own too, due to the incurred karma)?

I do agree however with such laws that ALLOW professional helpers to break their patient/client confidentiality by reporting paedophiles to the police IF THEY WISH, provided that they believe that the paedophile is still dangerous to some extent (but excluding such historical cases where the paedophile has since been reformed and/or is incapacitated so s/he can no longer do any future harm).

Actively protecting criminals from prosecution or hindering a police investigation is a different story, not to mention being an accessory to a crime and perjury, but the unique freedom to remain silent and do nothing must be absolutely sacred.

Paul, All persons working with children, the aged and disabled in our Church attend Safe Places instruction each 2 years and need a Police Check. Though they are asking all adults to have a police clearance because of the presence of children. This includes working with single adults.

Interesting read this thread, it is my view we all must understand not just one Church or even Churches only, had pedophiles in them,filth that they are we should take the victims side every time, our justice system seems to ignore that

Dear Josephus,

«All persons working with children, the aged and disabled in our Church attend Safe Places instruction each 2 years and need a Police Check.»

This is not something to be proud of - is there such a crisis of faith in your church that they no longer fear God and instead resort to the authority and methods of the secular regime?

//filth that they are we should take the victims side every time//

Couldn't agree more, Belly. Apologists for rock spiders are as bad as the rock spiders themselves.