UNITED KINGDOM
International Business Times
By Jacob Cherian | July 9, 2013
A statement issued by the General Synod of the Church of England offered an apology for failing to protect vulnerable adults, children, and young people from sexual and physical abuse.
However, that statement expressing an ‘unreserved apology’ by Archbishops were scoffed as a meaningless gesture by abuse survivors. The Synod met on Sunday to tighten up safe-guarding procedures and come up with relevant rules on the subject.
Before presenting survivors with the Church’s new apology motion, a statement from the Stop Church Child Abuse Group was read. Some of the members of this group were also present in the meetings. The group criticized the church policy by saying that members were not allowed to ‘speak for themselves.’ It also mentioned that survivors should have been consulted before taking action.
A third element of disparity brought out by the survivor’s group said that the apology fell short of any meaning, since it was made ‘without the costly engagement of reaching out to the victims,” reported the Daily Gaurdian
‘We cannot overestimate the importance of responding appropriately today,’ said The Archbishop of Caterbury Justin Welby, who replaces Rowan Williams as the leader of the Anglican Church headquartered in England. Bishop Williams
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