Inquiry Finds Nearly 400 Church of England Employees Convicted of Child Sex Offences

An independent report on the inquiry into Church of England sex abuse has revealed that children have endured abuse for decades and instead of protecting them, the Church has fostered an environment where hundreds of predators can hide.

Meanwhile, as the Church of England sex abuse continued, the Church protected its own reputation by keeping abuse against children within the organisation a secret. 

The inquiry into the Church of England sex abuse found that 390 members of the Church from the 1940s to 2018 were convicted for offences associated with sexual abuse against children, according to an ABC News report.

The report was presented by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

During its ongoing investigation into Church of England sex abuse, the inquiry has uncovered instances in which clergymen were ordained even though they had histories of molesting children. 

According to the report, the Church of England did not take sexual molestation allegations seriously and gave abusers “more support than victims.”

“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 could not overcome,” inquiry chairwoman Alexis Jay wrote, according to ABC News.

Many times the Church of England sex abuse was downplayed.

Rev. Ian Hughes was convicted after downloading 8,000 obscene photos of children in 2014. Another member of the Church, Bishop Peter Foster, stood up for Hughes, suggesting he had been fooled into looking at child pornography. 

Another example of how the Church minimised sexual abuse allegations is when late cathedral dean Robert Waddington was facing serious accusations in 1999, the BBC reported. The archbishop of York said it was impossible that the claims were true.

The Church of England sex abuse inquiry report said the Church ignored the “physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of children and young people in favour of protecting its reputation,” according to the BBC.

Although the Church of England sex abuse has allegedly been going on for decades, the Church now admits it has not supported victims in a timely manner, but says it is devoted to improving.

“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,” the Church of England said in a statement to ABC News.

Church clergy members have set up a large compensation fund for victims of sexual abuse. 

Inquiry Ongoing

The Church of England sex abuse inquiry, announced in July 2014, was initially expected to be finalised within five years, according to the BBC.

When the inquiry is complete, a concluding report of recommendations will be published.

In the meantime, an interim report has been published that includes 18 recommendations and other investigative pieces. 

Church of England sex abuse allegations received during the inquiry will be given to police. Reports associated with British overseas territories, Northern Ireland and Scotland will be referred to those authorities.

The inquiry into the Church of England sex abuse is conducting 15 investigations, including:

• Responses to sexual abuse of children by organised abuse networks;
• Accused failures at Lambeth Council, the Roman Catholic Church and residential schools, and the support systems in place to help victims;
• Children protection policies in religious organisations; and
• Strong leadership in children protection institutions that can handle defending children against sexual abuse.

Eight of the investigations in the Church of England sex abuse inquiry are complete as of October 2020. 

What is your opinion about the Church of England sex abuse inquiry? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

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