Q: I was molested by a Catholic priest when I was 16/17 years old. I was given alcohol and money.
I never told anyone. 38 years later, I told another priest from my childhood. He never reported it to anyone including the Diocese of Orlando or Florida’s DCF. Did he commit a crime by not reporting abuse that happened when I was a teenager? Are mandatory reporters supposed to report past cases of Catholic clergy abuse? Sorry, I wasn’t clear enough. I did not tell him in confession. I confronted him because I think he knew what happened to me. I contacted him through email. He was/is a family friend and I contacted him because I discovered the priest who molested me was dead. I am just trying to figure out if he or anyone else is required to report even though it was abuse in the past. Thank you.
A: He is not, in my opinion based on your assertions, a mandatory reporter. The priest hearing your confessions is not required to make a report under the circumstances you are alleging.
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