In a new progress report, the Church of England says it is implementing new procedures to keep instances such as what happened to “Joe,” a victim of clergy sexual abuse, from happening again.
Joe’s case spurred the Church’s initial Elliot Report, which was issued in 2016.
This year’s progress report is an update from the Elliot Report.
New measures, according to the report, include, “Strengthening of the training for handling disclosures with a bespoke module for bishops and senior church staff; an independent audit of safeguarding in all dioceses, due to be completed at the end of the year; further plans to work more closely with survivors to learn from their experience.”
Said Bishop of Crediton Sarah Mullally: “I continue to be absolutely committed to ensuring that the implementation of these recommendations is carried out at all levels of the Church, I know this was the promise of the Archbishop of Canterbury when he read the Report.
“I have had personal contact with Joe throughout the year and am aware of the ongoing suffering and pain he has endured as a survivor of this terrible abuse. As a Church we must do better in our response to all survivors and I am encouraged that by working through the implications of this review we are already starting to see a more unified approach to safeguarding training and awareness.”
Joe, who was thought to be about 15 at the time of the assaults in 1976, said he reported the abuse to dozens of people in the Church of England, but no action was taken.
“Practice of this nature is simply not acceptable,” the report says.
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Pulbication date: March 31, 2017
