Posted on 01/11/2020 4:25:49 PM PST by Morgana
Kristine Johnson is suing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for reporting her husband’s sexual abuse of an underage girl.
The lawsuit is an attempt to hold the church responsible for “loss of income, emotional distress and her family’s loss of her husband’s companionship,” to the tune of $9.5 million — plus $40,000 to cover their legal expenses. Johnson claims the church went against its principles of confidential confession when it reported her husband’s admission that he sexually abused an underage girl.
Johnson learned of her husband’s crime in 2016. She and her husband responded, according to the lawsuit, by “[following] the rules and scriptures of the church, which … requires and admonish church members to ‘confess their sins unto the brethren before the Lord.’”
The lawsuit argues that Kristine and her husband Timothy should have been advised that the confession would not remain private. Timothy Johnson was arrested for the sexual abuse of a minor in 2017, convicted of four counts of sexual abuse in 2018, and is currently serving a 15-year sentence in a Pendleton, Orgeon, prison.
In a statement, the Mormon organization maintains that it followed both its teachings and the Oregon state law that requires any confession of child abuse or neglect to be reported. “The church teaches that leaders and members should fulfill all legal obligations to report abuse to civil authorities,” church spokesman Eric Hawkins said.
University at Buffalo School of Law professor Christine Bartholomew told the Oregonian that the lawsuit’s outcome may affect more than just the Johnson family. “If successful, this litigation would push courts and these religious organizations toward less transparency than more,” she explained. “And you have to wonder if that would create the environment where abuse can really fester.”
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
No standing
sick religion
She sounds a whole lot like an accessory.
They don’t have a priest/pastor in their “churches” so no confidentiality between them.
If they were required by law to report it then there really isn’t much of a case.
This article doesn’t say to whom the man revealed the facts.
There would be none anyway.
Who do they think they are - catholics?
Confession doesn’t mitigate a crime
Or a coach at Penn State?
Or a public school teacher?
Or an olympic gymnastics doctor or coach?
Nice try.
Any group you name will fit. Especially me and probably most definitely maybe even you.
Hit the showers.
.
https://www.thedonald.win/p/3wjqqBE/fbi-protecting-the-institution/
Actually, clergy have a duty to report underage sex abuse in many States.
The LDS faith is quite different. They probably will keep silent as a courtesy on things that are simply embarrassing but by the rules of their church confession is not under seal and things that are criminal must be reported.
I’m not a mormon, but Good job. Proud of them for turning in a crook. No hiding behind the collar and covering up for them like some others have done.
Nothing sacrosanct about keeping pedophiles secret. If a priest doesn’t tell, he’s a pervert too. The Catholic church does not exist in some separate country, they have to follow the rules in America just like everybody else. They take the same lame sacrosanct position about sanctuary in a church. They claim illegal aliens are safe from the feds if they’re inside a church.
I was just explaining the difference in church rules and why the lady does not have even the beginnings of a case.
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