Vic police chief backed confessional seal

Victoria's top cop once supported the right of priests to retain the seal of the confessional when it came to the reporting of child sex abuse.

Graham Ashton was a deputy commissioner when he outlined the position of Victoria Police to a 2012 state parliamentary inquiry into the handling of child abuse by the church and other organisations. The investigation preceded the abuse royal commission.

"Victoria Police would not oppose an exemption for information gained in the Sacrament of Reconciliation under the Seal of Confession, providing there were measures in place to encourage the protection of children as a consequence," Mr Ashton wrote in the submission, which has been obtained by The Australian.

Victoria Police told The Australian on Thursday recommendations on mandatory reporting were a matter for the Victorian government and did not detail its, or Mr Ashton's, current position on the confessional.

"Victoria Police is focused on continuing to improve police practices and responses to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse,'' it said.