Church ‘ failed to keep children safe from sex predators for decades’
THE Church of England ignored concerns about child abuse for decades in order to preserve its own reputation, a report has found.
It also created a culture where abusers were able to hide, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse ( IICSA) said.
The probe accused the Church of being in direct conflict with its moral purpose of providing “care and love for the innocent and the vulnerable”.
Between the 1940s and 2018, 390 people who were members of the clergy or in other positions of trust in the Church were convicted of sexual offences against children, the inquiry heard. It also found examples of clergymen being ordained despite a history of child sexual offences.
Inquiry chairwoman Prof Alexis Jay said: “Over many decades, the Church of England failed to protect children and young people from sexual abusers, instead facilitating a culture where perpetrators could hide and victims faced barriers to disclosure that many couldn’t overcome.”
Richard Scorer, lead lawyer for Slater and Gordon, which represented 20 survivors, said: “This is a very damning report.
“It confirms that, despite decades of scandal and endless promises, the Church of England continues to fail victims and survivors.
“Bishops have too much power and too little accountability. Huge change is still required.”
IICSA is due to make its recommendations next year.
In total 15 sectors are being investigated, including celebrities, politicians, police, religious groups and schools. The final report will be presented to Parliament in 2022. The report on the Church found that in many cases, alleged perpetrators were “given more support than victims”.
The inquiry found in the case of shamed bishop Peter Ball the Church
“put its own reputation above the needs of victims”.
The former Bishop of Lewes and of Gloucester was jailed in 2015 for sexually abusing 18 young men over three decades.
It was revealed that he maintained a correspondence with Prince Charles for two decades. The royal later said it remained “a matter of deep regret” that he had been deceived by Ball “over so many years”. Before yesterday’s report, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York apologised to survivors of abuse, saying they were “truly sorry for the shameful way the Church has acted”.
Last month the Church announced a compensation scheme, thought to be around £ 200milion, for survivors of abuse.