Church of England failed to tackle child sex abuse, inquiry says

The Church of England failed to protect 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, an inquiry has said. The publication on Tuesday of the government-commissioned Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) detailed how a blind eye was turned to rapists and abusers within the church, and prompted an apology from it. The IICSA blamed a decades-long culture of secrecy and silence that exacerbated victims’ suffering. Professor Alexis Jay, chair of the inquiry, said the church over many decades facilitated “a culture where perpetrators could hide and victims faced barriers to disclosure that many could not overcome”. “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,” she added. The primary concern of many senior clergy was to uphold the church’s reputation, the inquiry said. Senior clergy often declined to report allegations to the appropriate agencies and hindered criminal investigations, allowing some abusers to escape justice. From the 1940s to 2018, 390 people who were clergy or in positions of trust associated with the church were convicted of sexual offences against children, according to the IICSA. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">