Mormon Church Liable For Millions For Not Reporting Stepfather's Abuse

A Washington state jury has found the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints liable for $2.5 million in a suit by two sisters who alleged their bishop failed to protect them from their stepfather who sexually abused them for years. Today's Salt Lake Tribune reports that the church may also be liable for an additional $1.7 million for damages related to the stepfather who served over four years in prison for the crimes. Washington laws do not require clergy to report suspected child sexual abuse, but the court allowed the jury to decide whether Bishop Bruce Hatch was acting as a social services counselor when one of the daughters came to him for help. The girls' mother was falsely told that state authorities would be notified of the abuse. The church has now instituted a toll-free number for its lay clergy to call for information on how to handle allegations of abuse.