She mentioned it in confession, or she might have used the confessional as a venue to report the abuse. But anything said during a confession is under the Seal. The priest cannot reveal anything whatsoever. He cannot even confirm that he heard a particular person’s confession.
After receiving three responses which basically said she mentioned her abuse in the confessional, then I don’t understand why anyone thinks the priests involvement is necessary. The young lady can go tell the police and the judge what happened herself. What insight is there to be gained from the priest? Did he hear the confession from the abuser? I’m not sure why the authorities have gone to court to compel his testimony. Does anyone else understand why? I’m sure I’m missing something that the article simply isn’t mentioning.