Independent safeguarding ‘only way to restore trust’ in Church of England

An autarkic safeguarding assemblage is the “only mode to reconstruct spot and confidence” successful the Church of England pursuing the caller maltreatment scandal, the seat of a nationalist enquiry has said.

She was commissioned by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York to nutrient a study connected safeguarding successful the Church of England successful 2022.

Speaking aft the ceremonial connected Thursday, she said the Church’s interior safeguarding procedures made the accidental of maltreatment being “swept nether the carpet” much likely.

Earlier this month, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby announced his resignation implicit failings successful his handling of the lawsuit of prolific abuser John Smyth aft days of mounting pressure.

This came aft a abstracted reappraisal concluded that Smyth, who abused arsenic galore arsenic 130 boys and young men implicit 5 decades, mightiness person been brought to justness had the archbishop formally alerted authorities successful 2013.

Of her safeguarding proposals presented to the Church Synod successful February past year, Professor Jay said: “The Church needs to instrumentality my recommendations and marque Church safeguarding afloat autarkic of clergy and others, and this, successful my opinion, is the lone mode to reconstruct spot and assurance successful however the Church operates successful these bonzer circumstances successful which, if it remains wrong the diocese’s power successful 42 dioceses, the chances of issues being swept nether the carpet and ignored are overmuch much likely.”

“It’s taking excessively agelong to instrumentality it,” she added.

“It volition spell backmost to the Synod successful February of adjacent twelvemonth – that’s a twelvemonth on, erstwhile things could person moved overmuch faster.”

It's a hard taxable matter, but indispensable that there's immoderate nationalist knowing of it.

Professor Jay, seat of the autarkic enquiry into kid enactment abuse

Professor Jay, who besides led the autarkic enquiry into kid enactment maltreatment successful the aftermath of the Jimmy Savile scandal, said she felt “frustrated” that nary of the probe’s recommendations had been implemented much than 2 years aft its conclusion.

She said: “My enquiry successful its last study made 20 recommendations, and nary of these person been implemented yet.

“That was successful October 2022, and it is hugely important that this Government takes up these issues and gives america a timeline for implementation.

“We spent 8 years and a large woody of wealth – it’s successful the quality of a nationalist enquiry that they outgo a lot, but much important is that the result of it is that those recommendations are implemented.”

Asked wherefore she thought determination had been nary implementation of the recommendations, Professor Jay said: “I can’t say. I don’t cognize wherefore that mightiness beryllium the case.

“It’s a hard taxable matter, but it is indispensable that there’s immoderate nationalist knowing of it.

“But we tin lone bash what we tin to property the Government to look astatine the transportation of each of this.

“It doesn’t request much consultation, it does not request much probe oregon discussion, it conscionable needs to beryllium done.”