Clergy as Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect - South Carolina

The Requirement for Clergy to Report 

Citation: Ann. Code § 63-7-310(A) 

Persons required to report include members of the clergy, including Christian Science practitioners or religious healers, and clerical or nonclerical religious counselors who charge for services.

Privileged Communications

Citation: Ann. Code § 63-7-420 

The privileged quality of communication between spouses and any professional person and their patient or client—except that between attorney and client or clergy member, including a Christian Science practitioner or religious healer, and penitent—does not constitute grounds for failure to report or the exclusion of evidence in a civil protective proceeding resulting from a report pursuant to this article. However, a clergy member, including a Christian Science practitioner or religious healer, must report in accordance with this article, except when information is received from the alleged perpetrator of the abuse and neglect during a communication that is protected by the clergy-penitent privilege, as defined in § 19-11-90.