That is an abuse of the tool. My argument for it is when it's in the right hands, the confessional is a powerful tool for change and motivation. But when it's being abused, the victims have every right to call them out and get them to stop.
So who would get rid of it? Government? The church leaders? The parishioners? It's a traditional practice (most notably in the Roman Catholic Church and many see it as an integral part of their spiritual life. Actually getting rid of it sounds like an impossible task. Despite all the problems with it as mentioned in this thread, many people use it regularly and get a lot out of it. In part it is an educational issue, that its use requires a certain level of maturity particularly on the part of the priests that take confessions. Many are. Maybe, too, the people who use the confessional need to be educated better on what to expect out of it so they can protect themselves if they feel anything inappropriate is going on. This would include children but frankly, why are children involved at all with this, at least to the age of 12, maybe older. If someone can't explain what the confessional is for without resorting to a memorized script, then they have no business using it. Just my opinion and no doubt there will be exceptions.
This is all so idealistic that it's difficult to imagine it actually happening. I know that sounds contradictory to my arguments but I'm again seeing a powerful spiritual practice getting questioned because people are misusing it and causing people a lifetime of guilt and shame. That sucks mostly for the victims but also for those who are responsible with its use.
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