"However, in The UK, (this priest claims jurisdiction in Northern Ireland which is subject to UK laws) it has been the law for most of modern times that if you are privy to a crime, you have a duty to report it to the appropriate authorities. Regarding child abuse, this has been strengthened by more recent laws."

Are you sure about that? In Ontario there is specific legislation about reporting child abuse. It's not my area of practice, so, without doing the research,, I have to admit that I'm not sure if it applies to the general population as well as to professions like teachers, doctors and social workers. However, I am not aware of any general obligation in common law to report crimes. Richard: am I right on this?