In a year marked by wrenching revelations and heated legal battles, the struggle between child protection advocates and defenders of religious secrecy has reached a pivotal moment in the United States and abroad. The stories of Dennis Finbow, a former Catholic priest convicted of decades-long sexual abuse in England, and the recent legal settlement in Washington State that allows clergy to keep confessions of abuse secret, have reignited fierce debate over where the line should be drawn between faith and justice.
On October 10, 2025, the BBC reported that Dennis Finbow, aged 77, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for 15 indecent assaults against five individuals, most of whom were under 16 at the time of the offenses. The crimes, which spanned several decades, took place while Finbow served as a prominent priest in Peterborough and St Neots, Cambridgeshire. He was already serving a six-and-a-half-year sentence for abusing a young girl in the 1980s. The court’s latest ruling reflected the gravity and duration of his offenses, but police believe there may be more victims who have yet to come forward—many of whom are now parents or grandparents, still grappling with memories they may not wish to revisit.
Detective Constable Annette Renwick, who led the investigation, told the BBC: “I believe people are out there who perhaps have been offended against, who have not come forward because they may be following this case intently, perhaps seeking some closure. Some are going to be parents, grandparents now. We're talking decades ago that this happened for some people. I think they've no intention of unlocking that box and that trauma that comes with it… and that's OK.”
Finbow’s prominence in the community during the 1980s and 1990s—his involvement in schools, hospitals, charities, and children’s social clubs—made him a trusted figure, which, as Det Con Renwick noted, gave him the access and authority to exploit that trust. “So, a very well-known and respected figure. But there was a darker side as well,” she said. “As we found out… with that role of respect and trust, unfortunately, there was a side where he was able to exploit that trust with children that he came into contact with.”
Despite his initial denials and claims of being the target of a “witch hunt,” Finbow was ultimately convicted after a trial at Huntingdon Crown Court in January 2023 and placed on the sex offenders register for life. In December 2024, Pope Francis formally removed Finbow’s clerical status in response to his convictions—a rare move that underscored the seriousness of the case. The Diocese of East Anglia, for its part, cooperated fully with police and safeguarding authorities throughout the investigation.
Yet, while the British courts and church authorities took decisive action, the United States has been embroiled in a parallel controversy—one that exposes a profound conflict between the imperatives of child safety and the protections afforded to religious ritual.
Earlier this year, Washington State lawmakers passed a law requiring clergy members to report child abuse to law enforcement, even if the information was learned solely through the sacrament of confession. The measure, which added “member of the clergy” to the list of mandated reporters, was hailed by advocates as a long-overdue step to close a loophole that had allowed abusers to confess their crimes in secret and escape accountability. Under the law, failure to report suspicions of abuse within 48 hours could result in a misdemeanor charge, a year in jail, and a $5,000 fine.
But the law immediately met fierce resistance from Catholic bishops and the federal government, who argued it infringed on religious freedom. According to a report by the Washington State Standard, the bishops and the Republican-led Justice Department filed lawsuits, contending that the law forced clergy to choose between “temporal criminal punishment and eternal damnation,” thereby violating the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The Church insisted that the confidentiality of confession is a sacred religious duty, and breaking that seal is a canonical crime with severe consequences, including removal from the priesthood.
In July, U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo issued a preliminary injunction, halting the law’s implementation. He concluded that the bishops “are likely to succeed on the merits of their Free Exercise Clause challenge and otherwise meet the requirements for the issuance of a preliminary injunction.” The legal battle seemed poised to drag on, but on October 10, 2025, a settlement was reached. Washington officials agreed to exempt clergy from reporting abuse learned solely through confession, while maintaining mandatory reporting requirements in all other circumstances. The settlement, which awaits court approval, ends the lawsuits without any financial exchange.
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown expressed a pragmatic view of the agreement, stating, “Today’s agreement respects the court’s decision in this case and maintains important protections for children. It keeps crucial portions of Washington’s mandatory reporting law in place, while also preserving the Legislature’s authority to address issues with the law identified by the court.”
Senator Noel Frame, who authored the law after years of advocacy, shared her hopes in an email to the Washington State Standard: “My goal all along with this bill has just been to protect children, and I hope that closing the book on this lawsuit allows for that to happen. Children need to know that when they go to a trusted adult in their life to ask for help, like a member of the clergy, they get help. That’s how we break the cycle of abuse and do better by our next generation.”
The settlement has drawn sharp criticism from survivors’ advocates and separation-of-church-and-state proponents, who argue that it leaves a dangerous loophole. As the Washington State Standard noted, Orthodox Churches also maintain that confession must remain absolutely confidential, and violating that trust would deter believers from seeking spiritual guidance. The Church’s stance is that religious doctrine must take precedence, even when it means abusers can confess their crimes without fear of earthly consequences.
For many, the Finbow case in England and the legal wrangling in Washington are stark reminders of the complex interplay between institutional power, secrecy, and the pursuit of justice. Both stories reveal how religious authority—whether through a trusted priest in a small English town or through the defense of sacramental secrecy in an American courtroom—can be wielded to shield predators and silence victims. At the same time, they highlight the courage of those who fight to break that silence, from detectives and lawmakers to survivors themselves.
As the dust settles in Washington and Finbow begins his latest prison sentence, the core moral question remains: should any tradition, no matter how ancient or revered, stand in the way of protecting children from harm? For now, the answer—at least in the eyes of the law—remains complicated, and the search for justice continues.
