Church leaders unite, demand full inquiry into child sex abuse

Anglican Communion News Service
July 9, 2014

http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2014/07/church-leaders-unite,-demand-full-inquiry-into-child-sex-abuse.aspx

Bishop Paul Butler warned that without an extensive investigation the full truth would not emerge

From The Evening Standard 

Church leaders have piled unprecedented pressure on Prime Minister David Cameron to order a full public inquiry into institutional child sex abuse in Britain.

The Bishop of Durham, the Right Rev Paul Butler, warned that without such an extensive investigation — with people giving evidence on oath — he feared the full truth would not emerge.

He said that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, had urged Home Secretary Theresa May a month ago to launch a public inquiry following a string of shocking claims of abuse. The Right Rev Butler, chairman of the CoE’s churches national safeguarding committee, said religious leaders believed there was a “real problem around institutional abuse”.

“A full public inquiry is required because under those terms people have to take oaths and therefore swear to tell the truth,” he said. “My fear is the whole story won’t come out without that.

“Victim survivors need justice and they need their story to be heard.”