Category: clergy

Child sexual abuse inquiry criticises lack of cooperation from Vatican – The Guardian

Posted October 29th, 2019 in child abuse, clergy, inquiries, news, sexual offences by tracey

‘The Vatican’s repeated refusal to cooperate with official investigations into paedophile priests and its delay in stripping convicted offenders of their clerical status has been condemned by the UK’s child sexual abuse inquiry. In a highly critical attack on the papacy’s stonewalling response to decades of complaints, the lead counsel to the inquiry, Brian Altman QC, said it was “very disappointing” that significant evidence and statements had been withheld.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 28th October 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Inquiry – ‘Positions of Trust’ within faith settings – Law & Religion UK

Posted August 16th, 2019 in child abuse, Christianity, clergy, inquiries, news, parliament, sexual offences by tracey

‘On 15 August, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Safeguarding in Faith Settings issued a call for evidence for its second Inquiry on whether there should be a change in legislation relating to “Positions of Trust” within faith settings.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 15th August 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Events in 1995 and 2010 lead to lifetime CDM prohibition – Law & Religion UK

Posted August 6th, 2019 in abuse of position of trust, child abuse, Church of England, clergy, disciplinary procedures, news, professional conduct by tracey

‘On 30 July 2019, the Clergy Discipline Tribunal of the Diocese of Portsmouth (“the Tribunal”) handed down a lifetime prohibition on the exercise of any function of the orders of the Reverend Simon Sayers, Rector of Warblington and Emsworth, Hampshire. The complaint was raised by the Ven Dr Joanne Grenfell on 23 March 2017 in relation to unbecoming or inappropriate conduct to the office and work of a clerk in Holy Orders within section (8)(1)(d) of the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 6th August 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Archbishop tried to discredit BBC film on church links to – The Guardian

Posted July 25th, 2019 in BBC, child abuse, clergy, complaints, media, news, sexual offences by tracey

‘The most senior Catholic leader in England and Wales went to extraordinary lengths to try to discredit a BBC documentary on child sexual abuse and its cover-up by the church, the Guardian can disclose.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 24th July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Birmingham Archdiocese let children be abused and harboured paedophile priests ‘to protect its own reputation’ – The Independent

Posted June 21st, 2019 in child abuse, clergy, inquiries, news, reports, sexual offences, victims by tracey

‘Birmingham’s Catholic church protected paedophile priests and allowed child sex abuse to continue in order to preserve its own reputation, a damning inquiry has found.’

Full Story

The Independent, 20th June 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Victims in religious institutions less likely to report sexual abuse, says inquiry – The Independent

Posted May 30th, 2019 in child abuse, Christianity, clergy, news, sexual offences, statistics, victims by tracey

‘Children who suffer sexual abuse are significantly less likely to report it if it is being perpetrated in a religious institution, according to a major analysis of survivors’ experiences. A study by the Truth Project, part of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), drew upon the experiences of 183 individuals who were abused as children in religious institutions, or by clergy or church staff in other settings.’

Full Story

The Independent, 30th May 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Church statements on Bishop George Bell – Law & Religion UK

Posted January 25th, 2019 in child abuse, Church of England, clergy, news, sexual offences by tracey

‘Today, 24 January 2019, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the National Safeguarding Team issued statements following a ruling by Timothy Briden, a senior ecclesiastical lawyer, relating to fresh information received about the late Bishop George Bell. The core group took the view that there were no safeguarding issues arising out of the fresh information and Mr Briden concluded that the allegations presented to him were unfounded.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 24th January 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Bishop George Bell abuse allegations ‘unfounded’ – BBC News

Posted January 25th, 2019 in child abuse, Church of England, clergy, news, sexual offences by tracey

‘Further allegations against the late Bishop of Chichester George Bell are “unfounded”, a Church of England (CofE) appointed lawyer has ruled.’

Full Story

BBC News, 24th January 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Independent Case Review – Oxford Diocese – Law & Religion UK

Posted December 12th, 2018 in Church of England, clergy, disciplinary procedures, news by sally

‘Today, 12th December, the Diocese of Oxford has issued the following Press Release on the establishment of an Independent Case Review of the diocesan safeguarding response to allegations of spiritual abuse in the case of the Revd Tim Davis.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 12th December 2018

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Child abuse inquiry: School ‘reputations put before victims’ – BBC News

Posted August 10th, 2018 in child abuse, clergy, news, reports, school children, sexual offences by sally

‘Two leading Roman Catholic schools “prioritised monks and their own reputations over the protection of children”, a report says.’

Full Story

BBC News, 9th August 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Peter Ball – legislation, then and now (I) – Law & Religion UK

Posted August 8th, 2018 in child abuse, clergy, inquiries, news, sexual offences by tracey

‘The public hearing of the Independent Inquiry Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) into the Peter Ball case study took place 23-27 July 2018; the IICSA investigated inter alia whether there were inappropriate attempts by people of prominence to interfere in the criminal justice process after he was first accused of child sexual offences. The transcripts of the proceedings and other documents are available here.

The hearing of this case study followed the earlier IICSA consideration of the experience of the Diocese of Chichester, 5-23 March 2018, where there had been multiple allegations of sexual abuse, and numerous investigations and reviews. Peter Ball was Bishop of Lewes from 1977 to 1992 and was translated to Gloucester in 1992, but resigned from his position in 1993 after admitting to an act of gross indecency with a 19-year-old man and accepting a formal police caution.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 8th August 2018

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Is an ordinand in training an employee? Gabe – Law & Religion UK

Posted July 20th, 2018 in clergy, contract of employment, news by tracey

‘In Ms F Gabe v The United Reformed Church [2017] UKET 2204367/2012, the claimant was accepted to train for the ministry of the URC as a full-time student at Westminster College, Cambridge. She was given a grant and allowances amounting to some £11,000 a year; ultimately, however, she was not ordained. On successfully concluding the course at Westminster, a trainee minister receives a “leaving certificate” from the College which will generally but not inevitably lead to the Church’s Assessment Board, when it reviews matters, determining that the candidate is fit for ordination. The candidate then has up to three years to be accepted for ordination by a Pastorate and, once accepted, he or she will be ordained.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 18th July 2018

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Church of England ombudsman to oversee sexual abuse cases – The Guardian

Posted July 9th, 2018 in child abuse, Church of England, clergy, news, ombudsmen, personal injuries by sally

‘The Church of England is to establish an independent ombudsman to deal with complaints over its handling of sexual abuse cases, and will seek other ways of strengthening independent scrutiny of its processes.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 7th July 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Former church minister jailed for historical sex offences – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted April 13th, 2018 in child abuse, clergy, guilty pleas, press releases, sentencing, sexual offences by tracey

‘A former church minister has been jailed for historical sex offences committed over a period of 22 years.’

Full press release

Crown Prosecution Service, 10th April 2018

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Clerical abuse of spiritual power and authority: Penalty – Law & Religion UK

Posted March 27th, 2018 in Church of England, clergy, disciplinary procedures, news, penalties, tribunals by tracey

‘Our post on 12 March 2018 reported the announcement by the Diocese of Oxford that a two-year penalty had been imposed on the Revd Timothy Davis, following the recent penalty hearing, Decision of the CDM Tribunal, 8 December 2017, (“the Abingdon case”). The Determination of the penalty has now been published formally by the CofE and in this post we examine aspects of “clerical abuse of spiritual power and authority”, raised in this decision and in the evidence given to the IICSA hearing on the Anglican Church.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 26th March 2018

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Gay priest Jeremy Pemberton’s discrimination appeal dismissed – BBC News

Posted March 23rd, 2018 in appeals, Church of England, clergy, equality, marriage, news, sexual orientation discrimination by tracey

‘A gay clergyman stopped from becoming a hospital chaplain has lost his appeal over a discrimination claim against the Church of England.’

Full Story

BBC News, 22nd March 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Oxfordshire vicar who spiritually abused boy banned from ministry – The Guardian

Posted March 12th, 2018 in child abuse, Church of England, clergy, disqualification, news, tribunals by sally

‘A Church of England vicar has been banned from ministry for two years after being found guilty of spiritually abusing a teenage boy.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 11th March 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Church accused of launching new ‘shameful’ attack on memory of Bishop George Bell – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 1st, 2018 in Church of England, clergy, news, sexual offences by tracey

‘The Church of England has been accused of launching a ‘shameful and foolish’ new attack on one of its most revered bishops, by making public an uncorroborated child sex abuse allegation almost 70 years old. The Church announced on Wednesday it had referred to the police a second claim of sexual assault made against Bishop George Bell, who died in 1958.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 31st January 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Criminal allegations against the dead – Law & Religion UK

Posted January 24th, 2018 in child abuse, Church of England, clergy, confidentiality, evidence, news, sexual offences by tracey

‘On 22 January 2018, the House of Lords debated the naming of deceased individuals against whom criminal allegations have been made, for which specific reference was made to the Carlile Report on the handling of the Bishop George Bell issue. This was particularly timely in view of the controversy that has arisen relating to the Church of England’s position relating to confidentiality.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 24th January 2018

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Clerical abuse of spiritual power and authority – Law & Religion UK

Posted January 9th, 2018 in Church of England, clergy, disciplinary procedures, news, tribunals by sally

‘On Monday 8th January, the Church of England reported the findings of the Bishop’s Disciplinary Tribunal for the Diocese of Oxford in the matter of a complaint under the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003 against The Reverend Timothy Davis, Vicar of Christ Church Abingdon, (‘TD’), in respect of the mentoring he provided to a 15/16 year old schoolboy (‘W1’) whose family were members of his congregation. The BBC reports that Church of England officials believed that this was the first occasion on which a tribunal had convicted a priest of spiritual abuse.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 9th January 2018

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com