Church of England failed to protect children from sexual predators
The report from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse identifies that the Church of England created a culture where abusers could ‘hide’.
The Church was accused of being an in direct conflict with its moral purpose of providing “care and love for the innocent and the vulnerable”.
But it failed to take abuse allegations seriously and neglecting the “physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing” of the young.
Ultimately the Church created a culture where abusers were able to hide.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse’s (IICSA) report into the Anglican Church also found:
The examples of clergymen being ordained despite a history of child sexual offences.
An Inquiry said on Tuesday:
The Church of England failed to protect children from sexual predators within its ranks for decades.
By allowing abusers to hide in an attempt to defend its own reputation rather than following its duty to protect young people.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse said:
From the 1940s to 2018;
390 people who were clergy or in positions of trust associated with the Church have been convicted of sexual offences against children.
According to Professor Alexis Jay, chair of the inquiry:
“Over many decades, the Church of England failed to protect children and young people from sexual abusers,”
She continued by saying;
“Instead facilitating a culture where perpetrators could hide and victims faced barriers to disclosure that many could not overcome,”
She added:
“If real and lasting changes are to be made, it’s vital that the Church improves the way it responds to allegations from victims and survivors,”
She then added further:
“And provides proper support for those victims over time,”
According to the report, the primary concern was to uphold the reputation of Church:
“Senior clergy often declined to report allegations to statutory agencies, preferring to manage those accused internally for as long as possible,”
The report further states:
“This hindered criminal investigations and enabled some abusers to escape justice.”
The report suggested that a Church-wide policy on the funding and provision of support to victims of child sexual abuse concerning clergy.
The report said:
“It should make clear that support should always be offered as quickly as possible, taking into account the needs of the victim over time,”
Church of England would issue a statement later.
