Child sex abuse; Church still to get its House in order – The Yorkshire Post says

IT is a small mercy that the Church of England’s outlook today is different to the organisation that previously placed its own reputation before the needs of young and vulnerable people sexually abused by clergy.
By YP Comment
Published 6th Oct 2020, 16:38 BST
Undated handout photo issued by the Indepedent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) of its newly-released investigation report into the Church of England. The Church has spent decades failing to protect some children and young people from sexual predators within their midst, preferring instead to protect the its own reputation, the damning report has found. PA Photo. Issue date: Tuesday October 6, 2020. The Church was accused of being "in direct conflict" with its moral purpose of providing "care and love for the innocent and the vulnerable" by failing to take abuse allegations seriously, neglecting the "physical, emotional and spiritual well-being" of the young, and creating a culture where abusers were able to "hide".Undated handout photo issued by the Indepedent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) of its newly-released investigation report into the Church of England. The Church has spent decades failing to protect some children and young people from sexual predators within their midst, preferring instead to protect the its own reputation, the damning report has found. PA Photo. Issue date: Tuesday October 6, 2020. The Church was accused of being "in direct conflict" with its moral purpose of providing "care and love for the innocent and the vulnerable" by failing to take abuse allegations seriously, neglecting the "physical, emotional and spiritual well-being" of the young, and creating a culture where abusers were able to "hide".
Undated handout photo issued by the Indepedent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) of its newly-released investigation report into the Church of England. The Church has spent decades failing to protect some children and young people from sexual predators within their midst, preferring instead to protect the its own reputation, the damning report has found. PA Photo. Issue date: Tuesday October 6, 2020. The Church was accused of being "in direct conflict" with its moral purpose of providing "care and love for the innocent and the vulnerable" by failing to take abuse allegations seriously, neglecting the "physical, emotional and spiritual well-being" of the young, and creating a culture where abusers were able to "hide".

Many of the deeply distressing occurrences chronicled by The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuses, including clergymen ordained despite a propensity for paedophilia, are historic and reflect badly on the CoE’s complacent leadership in the past. Regrettably, this includes David Hope, a once distinguished former Archbishop of York, who failed to report grotesque allegations made against the late Robert Waddington, Dean of Manchester Cathedral between 1984 and 1993, to the police.

In December 2004, Archbishop Hope wrote to Waddington stating that he was “very pleased to note the matter is now closed” – prima facie evidence of the Church choosing to be judge and jury on its own clerics.

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Yet, while the incumbent Archbishops of Canterbury and York have both made “an absolute commitment” this week to make the Church “a safer place” for all, this work is incomplete and apologies won’t suffice. This is self-evident from the response of Jonathan Gibbs, the Bishop of Huddersfield and CoE’s lead safeguarding bishop, over safeguarding and how the Church is “committed to looking at how best to implement greater independent oversight” of its protocols.

Justin Welby (right), the Archbisohp of Canterbury, with Stephen Cottrell, the new Archbishop of York.Justin Welby (right), the Archbisohp of Canterbury, with Stephen Cottrell, the new Archbishop of York.
Justin Welby (right), the Archbisohp of Canterbury, with Stephen Cottrell, the new Archbishop of York.

It is the phrase ‘looking at how best’ that will exercise many. The Church has had years to get its House in order and far greater urgency is needed at a time when the issue of trust has never been more important in all walks of life.

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Thank you

James Mitchinson

Related topics:Yorkshire PostChurch of England

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