By Brian Lashley
Manchester Evening News [United Kingdom]
May 17, 2007
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1007/1007133_all_clergy_face_child_abuse_checks.html
ALL clergy in Manchester Church of England diocese are to be checked to see if they have ever faced child abuse allegations.
An independent lawyer has been appointed by the church to examine 850 files.
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| The Bishop of Manchester Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch |
It is the first diocese in the country to take the radical step which follows two high-profile national paedophile cases in which the church was accused of a cover up.
Allegations of child abuse were made against Somerset vicar David Smith and Hampshire choirmaster Peter Halliday years before they were eventually convicted of abusing children.
The files of serving and retired clergy - which could go back 40 years - will be examined to discover if any contain 'outstanding child protection issues that raise concern'.
Current or older allegations of child abuse that have not been acted upon will be reported to Greater Manchester Police.
The Manchester diocese covers Bolton, Bury, Leigh, Oldham, Rochdale, Rossendale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside and Trafford.
The checks will only be carried out on clergy granted a licence by the Bishop of Manchester.
The files of choirmasters, organists and youth workers will not be scrutinised because they undergo a full Criminal Records Bureau check. That has also applied to clergy since 1993, but they now face a double check.
Examining the files is expected to take eight weeks. A church spokesman said it had so far received no feedback about the checks.
Bishop of Manchester Nigel McCulloch said: "Recent cases have shocked people and the effects of such abuse are devastating to the victims.
"Using our strict child protection procedures, I am instructing a review of clergy files so we can be confident that there are no child protection issues outstanding in this diocese."
A church spokesman said: " If allegations are made in our parishes we inform the authorities.
"If there are any outstanding child protection issues in the files we will inform the authorities."
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