An official study on sexual abuse in the United Kingdom has recommended criminal penalties for anyone who fails to report abuse of children—specifically including priests who hear of the abuse in a sacramental confession.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) in England and Wales, commissioned by the government, recommends that “mandatory reporting as set out in this report should be an absolute obligation; it should not be subject to exceptions based on relationships of confidentiality, religious or otherwise.” The commission said that “neither neither the freedom of religion or belief nor the rights of parents with regard to the education of their children can ever justify the ill-treatment of children or prevent governmental authorities from taking measures necessary to protect children from harm.”