Catholic priests and bishops in southern Africa from now on will be required to report to the police all cases of child abuse by clergy.
The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) took the decision on Wednesday when it endorsed a decision taken by its professional conduct committee.
The SACBC in a statement said accusations by minors, or on behalf of minors, would be reported to commissioners of child welfare at the magistrate's court.
"Their parents or guardians would be advised to make this report. If they do not, then the church authority will do so."
Accusations made by adults who have been abused as children will be reported to a designated senior member of the detective branch.
"The victim will be advised to do this. If he or she refuses, the church authority will do it, informing the police officer of the refusal of the victim."
The bishops also approved a draft of a letter to the national head of detectives, Commissioner Johan de Beer, requesting him to designate senior detectives in each of the nine provinces to whom the church would report all cases of child sexual abuse.
The senior clergymen also approved of collecting data on cases investigated since January 1999 according to their protocol on child sexual abuse.
Each ecclesiastical province (Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria) has a professional conduct committee headed by the Bishops' delegate. And each diocese has two contact persons to whom the reports of abuse can be made.
The Catholic Church in the United States is still mired in scandal over a series of child abuse cover-ups.
The church has come under fire globally, including in South Africa, for attempting to deal with paedophile priests and child abuse behind closed doors.