Lead Safeguarding Bishop to critics: “You don’t understand”
by Martin Sewell, Archbishop Cranmer:
Considering the experiences they have been through, and the historically indifferent responses of the Church of England to their suffering, many of those who survived sexual abuse are surprisingly positive in supporting each other as their campaign for justice has unfolded. There are even occasional outbreaks of levity.
As we sought signatures for the letter seeking a Charity Commission inquiry into the Church’s safeguarding policy and practices, one of the more cynical and mischievous victims offered a draft response to be offered to the NST to save them time.
The Church of England takes its responsibility for safeguarding very seriously, and has already put into place many measures to improve. These include blah, blah, blah.
The Church awaits the publication of the IICSA report, and plans to form a committee to examine the findings which will report back to the Archbishops’ Council within 12 months of its publication. A report will then be forwarded to the General Synod with proposals for changes as we deem may be required.
The issues raised in the letter to the Charity Commissioners will be carefully considered in due course by the National Safeguarding Steering Group, who will report back to the Archbishops’ Council. We will of course fully co-operate with the Charity Commissioners to provide any further information that may help them.
What was actually published can be read HERE. One of the most extraordinary claims by the Lead Safeguarding Bishop, Jonathan Gibbs, was the notion that critics of the NST ‘core groups’ misunderstood their character and functioning. The signatories to the letter include Lord (Alex) Carlile QC, who was the reviewer chosen by the Church of England to conduct the comprehensive review into the Bishop George Bell ‘core group’ process. He made significant recommendations for the improvement of the system and these were accepted by the Archbishops on behalf of the Church.
Those recommendations have not been implemented.
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