changed Posted October 30, 2017 Posted October 30, 2017 The church has released the interview questions: http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/multimedia/file/15137_000_letter.pdf#page=5 Does anyone know where I can get a copy of "Handbook 1: Stake Presidents and Bishops" that is referred so often within the interview questions? I am specifically curious as to what the manual instructs for more serious cases, such as when: Have you ever sexually abused a child in any way, regardless of whether or not you were charged, you were convicted, or the record was expunged? (If yes, and the abuse has not been reported, see Handbook 1: Stake Presidents and Bishops [2010], 17.3.2, for instructions.) The appendix does not mention anything about reporting serious violations to local law enforcement - would a bishop ever testify in court in a divorce case as an example? or in the case of abuse, what are church leaders instructed to do to protect the victims involved?
JAHS Posted October 30, 2017 Posted October 30, 2017 According to the handbook: "If confidential information indicates that a member’s abusive activities have violated applicable law, the bishop or stake president should urge the member to report these activities to the appropriate government authorities. Leaders can obtain information about local reporting requirements through the help line. Where reporting is required by law, the leader encourages the member to secure qualified legal advice. To avoid implicating the Church in legal matters to which it is not a party, Church leaders should avoid testifying in civil or criminal cases or other proceedings involving abuse."
changed Posted October 30, 2017 Author Posted October 30, 2017 54 minutes ago, JAHS said: According to the handbook: "If confidential information indicates that a member’s abusive activities have violated applicable law, the bishop or stake president should urge the member to report these activities to the appropriate government authorities. Leaders can obtain information about local reporting requirements through the help line. Where reporting is required by law, the leader encourages the member to secure qualified legal advice. To avoid implicating the Church in legal matters to which it is not a party, Church leaders should avoid testifying in civil or criminal cases or other proceedings involving abuse." So Mormons are similar to the Catholic church, in that they will not report an abuser, and they will not testify in court in order to protect a victim. That is what I thought, thanks for sharing.
Calm Posted October 30, 2017 Posted October 30, 2017 (edited) 46 minutes ago, changed said: So Mormons are similar to the Catholic church, in that they will not report an abuser, and they will not testify in court in order to protect a victim. That is what I thought, thanks for sharing. They will report abuse if required by law. If they report abuse, but there is a law about expectation of privileged communication legally preventing them from reporting, by reporting they may screw up prosecution. If you are concerned about it, you should talk to a lawyer or law enforcement official to understand the best way to report abuse by a religious representative when one is aware of it. The Church has the Hotline to protect victims as well as the Church leaders, who could get sued if they report privileged information that likely couldn't be used anyway. Maybe those who are or who have been bishops can share what is legal in their area. Edited October 30, 2017 by Calm 2
thesometimesaint Posted October 30, 2017 Posted October 30, 2017 Confidentiality works to protect both.
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