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To: Maximum Leader; Notwithstanding
Question: Does Massachusetts have a 'mandated reporter' law? In California, certain professions such as teachers, physicians, nurses, counselors and anyone who comes into contact with children (and the dependent elderly) are required by law (under threat of fines or imprisonment) to file a report with the police, Child Protective Services or Adult Protective Services in cases of abuse. The victims can decide not to prosecute but this must be done to get the offender off the street or create a paper trail as he or she WILL abuse again. I have never been able to determine if priests fall under this law or not.
50 posted on 12/15/2002 9:43:32 PM PST by Scupoli
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To: Scupoli
Up until very recently no. The Mass. legislature is adding religious officials to its list of mandated reporters.

I suspect that every other state will do the same.
52 posted on 12/15/2002 9:46:11 PM PST by Maximum Leader
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To: Scupoli
1. Your queston brings up a point that is missed in all of this: the pope and the bishop were performing a religious act (isuing a religious decree), and therefore he law of the US cannot in any way control how the Church conducts such an act. That is 1st Amendment 101.

2. Any mandatory reporting law that singles out clergy of any kind will be founf to be unconstitutional as the govt cannot tell a clergyman how to do his job or what his job entails (this is known as excessive entanglement). Priest could come in under some general reproting requirment (such as "all adults", but beyond something very very broad and general, you end up with the govt tellig a celrgyman what his job entails and how to do it.
55 posted on 12/15/2002 9:52:30 PM PST by Notwithstanding
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