LONDON (REUTERS): The Church of England has failed to protect hundreds of children from sexual predators within its ranks for decades, allowing abusers to hide in an attempt to defend its own reputation rather than following its duty to protect young people.
A report by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has found that from 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.
In 2018 alone, there were 2,504 safeguarding concerns reported to dioceses about either children or vulnerable adults, and 449 concerns about recent child sexual abuse. A significant amount of offenders are involved in downloading or possession of indecent images of children.
“Instead of facilitating a culture where perpetrators could hide and victims faced barriers to disclosure that many could not overcome,” Professor Alexis Jay, chair of the inquiry, said.
She further said, “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, and provides proper support for those victims over time.”
The primary concern of many senior clergies was to uphold the Church’s reputation, the inquiry said. “Senior clergy often declined to report allegations to the agencies and hindered criminal investigations, allowing some abusers to escape justice,” it concluded.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Gibbs, Bishop of Huddersfield, said, “The report makes shocking reading and while apologies will never take away the effects of abuse on victims and survivors.”
“We today want to express our shame about the events that have made those apologies necessary. The whole Church must learn lessons from this Inquiry,” Gibbs added.
