"Church Was Found Wanting" in Catholic Abuse Scandal

ITV
January 16, 2014

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2014-01-16/church-was-found-wanting-in-catholic-abuse-scandal/

David Sullivan said there had been some improvement in child protection within the Catholic Church. Credit: Daybreak/ITV

When allegations of sexual abuse against young children in the Catholic Church came to light "the Church was found seriously wanting", the head of a watchdog told Daybreak.

However, the Catholic Church in the UK was in "a much better place" since the initial scandal, the chair of the National Catholic Safeguarding Committee said.

Speaking ahead of a UN committee in Geneva on paedophile priests, David Sullivan said: "I think initially when the abuse scandal broke...it is absolutely valid to say the Church was found wanting.

"There had been cover up, priests that they knew had been abusing church leaders were moving around, victims were not believed or not listened to."

There had been some progress, Sullivan said: "I think in terms of the procedures and guidelines certainly that we have in this country now, we are in a much better place - but there is nothing to make up complacent."