An Oregon woman is suing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , widely known as the Mormon church, for alerting police that her husband had confessed to child abuse.

Kristine Johnson is seeking $9.54 million for emotional distress and loss of her husbands income, among other damages, claiming that the church violated the couples trust and the priest-penitent privilege, the Statesman Journal reported .

Her husband, Timothy Johnson, is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence for sexual abuse of a minor.

Its been devastating on the family, Johnsons attorney Bill Brandt told the Journal. They lost a husband and a father. Brandt did not return a request for comment from HuffPost.

Church spokesman Eric Hawkins told the Oregonian that protecting victims and ensuring proper reporting is a top priority for the church.

Kristine Johnson learned of her husbands abuse of an underage girl in 2016, according to the Oregonian. The couple decided to address the matter through a local church panel in Marion County, which the lawsuit claims is the response required by church doctrine.

Brandt told the Oregonian that the church tells members to confess sins to get back in good favor with the church. Afterward, the church offers counseling and lays out other requirements to address the sins.

The whole process was supposed to remain confidential, Brandt told The Washington Post , similar to the practice of confession in the Roman Catholic Church.