The National Secular Society has asked the UK government to clarify how a new mandatory child abuse reporting law will apply to religious confession and clergy-penitent privilege. The law, passed earlier this year, requires certain professionals to report known or suspected child abuse, but questions remain about whether religious confessions create exemptions.

The request follows ongoing debates in multiple countries about whether clergy should be legally required to report abuse disclosed in religious settings, with recent high-profile cases in Arizona and other U.S. states bringing the issue to prominence. The NSS argues that child safety should take precedence over religious confidentiality in all cases.