UNITED KINGDOM
York Press
[with video]
by Mike Laycock
A REPORT on the Church of England’s handling of child abuse allegations against a former cathedral dean has strongly criticised a former Archbishop of York.
It says Lord Hope struggled with the conflict between his responsibilities for both the pastoral care of clergy and discipline, and says his concern for the welfare of Robert Waddington seemed to have been paramount in his response to the allegations against the former Dean of Manchester Cathedral.
The report, published following an independent inquiry set up by current Archbishop Dr John Sentamu, also identifies ‘systemic failures’ in the church’s failure to implement or follow its own procedures and guidelines on the reporting of incidents.
It makes eight recommendations for future handling of allegations, including policies that decision-makers should not have a pastoral responsibility for the alleged perpetrator, child protection should be approached on a national rather than diocesan basis and record keeping should be national.
Dr Sentamu said he was ‘deeply ashamed’ that the church was not vigilant enough to ensure such things did not happen, adding: “Any act of abuse committed by someone in a position of authority in the Church is a matter of shame and requires deep repentance.”
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