Clergy files dating back for decades have been opened up and checked for allegations of child abuse as part of a major review to ensure the safety of young people.
The files of every serving and retired cleric in the Church in Wales have been scrutinised to make sure any concerns previously raised have been properly dealt with in the light of current best practice.
The findings, announced today, are the result of 18 months’ work by an independent specialist social worker, seconded from the office of the Children’s Commissioner for Wales.
All clergy were informed of the review before it took place and a confidential telephone helpline was set up with the children’s charity, the NSPCC, for people to report any concerns of abuse. The review was overseen by an internal safeguarding panel.
Of the 1,381 files examined across the six dioceses of Wales, five were referred by the safeguarding panel to the Police and Social Services who, after investigation, decided not to bring any charges or take further action. Two of the five were also referred to the Independent Safeguarding Authority which decided not to act in either case.
The review report made 36 recommendations for improving the Church’s safeguarding policies.
The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, welcomed the report. He said, “We commissioned this comprehensive review because we want to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the Church in Wales is a safe place for children. We are delighted with the findings as they give us the confidence to say that the Church has not brushed allegations of abuse under the carpet or turned a blind eye to them. There are no outstanding cases that we are aware of that have not now been formally investigated.
“However, we must remain vigilant, taking on the recommendations in the review and ensuring they help us develop all our procedures for safeguarding children and vulnerable people. We would also reiterate our appeal to anyone having serious concerns about the suitability of anyone working with children within a Church setting to share those concerns with the relevant diocesan child protection adviser, or the police or social services. That would be the most effective way of stopping abuse in its tracks.”
Commenting on the findings of the report, Keith Towler, Children’s Commissioner for Wales, said, “The report represents the culmination of a great deal of work not only by the independent officer but also by the Church itself. It was imperative that these historic cases were reviewed and that lessons would be learned. I commend the Archbishop for accepting all of the review’s recommendations and for restating the Bench of Bishops’ commitment to safeguarding children and young people within the Church community.
“Moving forward, I as the independent children’s commissioner with statutory responsibility to promote and safeguard children’s rights and welfare, will be meeting regularly with the Archbishop and his staff to ensure the implementation in full of the recommendations takes place as a matter of urgency.”
- The review highlighted a number of recommendations for improving the Church’s safeguarding policies. These included:
- Appointing a Provincial Safeguarding Officer to provide professional advice, support and training;
- Updating CRB checks every three years instead of every five;
- Setting up safeguarding links with other religious organizations to share information;
- Increasing training for clergy on child protection, including to heighten awareness of “grooming” and domestic violence;
- Giving guidance to clergy on the relationship between statutory legislation and the Church’s teaching on the boundaries of the Confessional;
- Advising clergy on the dangers of emotional abuse from the inappropriate use of pastoral supervision or theological teaching.
A copy of The Church in Wales Historic Cases Review can be read at http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/resources/general/historic_cases-en.pdf
