LONDON (UNITED KINGDOM)
The Telegraph [London, England]
April 23, 2023
By Gabriella Swerling
Victims speak out and lambast ‘inappropriate and irresponsible’ appointment of the new chair of the Independent Safeguarding Board
The Church of England is obstructing its own safeguarding panel by denying them their own computers, refusing to share data and treating them with “hostility”, whistleblowers have told The Telegraph.
The Independent Safeguarding Board (ISB) was formed in January 2022 and tasked with scrutinising the work of the Church’s National Safeguarding Team (NST), as well as holding the Church to account regarding its safeguarding duties.
However, the ISB’s only two board members have come forward to claim that their experience working with Church officials is “an uphill battle and unnecessarily challenging”.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Jasvinder Sanghera CBE, who founded the Karma Nirvana charity which aims to end honour-based abuse, and Steve Reeves MBE, executive director of Global Safeguarding, raised the alarm.
They claim there has been “clear interference” with their work, a “lack of transparency” and a “reluctance to provide information” meaning that at times they have been “met with hostility”.
Their concerns have been echoed by victims who claim that unless the Church revokes its “inappropriate and irresponsible” appointment of the new ISB chair as Meg Munn – the former foreign office minister who already holds posts within the Church of England – they will not only feel “re-abused” but they will also refuse to work with the ISB and share their testimonies.
‘Examples of clear interference‘
ISB board members have levelled a raft of claims at the Church, including that it encouraged them to share its own press office, IT services and phone lines, and to use their “church-selected lawyers”.
It is also alleged that the Church wanted the ISB budget incorporated into the NST budget, meaning they could monitor expenditure and which resulted in “hurdles for relatively small levels of investment”.
The church was also reluctant to provide crucial data to the ISB and was evasive in being open to independent scrutiny, it has been claimed.
Board members say that “examples of clear interference” with the ISB’s work include a failure to consult both them and abuse victims over the appointment of Ms Munn as the new Chair – contravening the Church’s terms of process.
They also said they were instructed not to engage with victims on matters of “independence and the arrival of a Chair”.
The claims come in the wake of a series of scandals faced by the ISB in which its former chair, Prof Maggie Atkinson, recently resigned amid accusations from abuse victims that she had repeatedly broken data protection laws and breached both confidentiality and privacy of documentation. Two of the allegations were upheld by the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Ms Munn, the former Labour MP, was announced last month as Prof Atkinson’s replacement to the dismay of abuse victims who claimed it was “too cosy” and a conflict of interest because she would essentially be tasked with scrutinising her own work.
She already holds the post of chair of the National Safeguarding Panel within the Church of England, and sits on the National Safeguarding Steering Group (NSSG).
Meanwhile, Ms Munn has said it is “an honour” to be appointed ISB chair, and is due to take up the role in May.
‘Final straw’
Ms Sanghera described her appointment as the “final straw”. She added that more than 40 victims have come forward to the ISB to raise concerns and that The Archbishop’s Council has been informed.
“Survivors expressed that they feel re-abused, and a number of them are unwilling to participate in the work of the ISB if she remains as chair,” she said.
“The fact that victims and survivors feel disregarded and re-abused is of great concern to the ISB, and I would urge The Archbishop’s Council to act upon these concerns as a matter of urgency.
“We have worked hard to build a relationship of trust with those brave enough to come forward and report being harmed by the church. This trust must not be eroded, neither should the important work towards independence be impacted.
“For months, we’ve been working without a chair, and the fact that the ISB and survivors have not been involved in any of the decision making to appoint an ISB Chair, is the final straw.”
Regarding working with the Church, Mr Reeves added: “At times, it’s been an uphill battle and unnecessarily challenging to achieve some of the work we’ve been asked to do.
“We are highly reliant on the Church itself for our infrastructure and financing. Over the last year there have been multiple instances where our freedom to operate has been hampered.”
‘Victims do not trust Meg Munn’
Meanwhile, victims have welcomed the ISB board speaking out.
One victim who was abused by John Smyth, the “sadomasochistic” QC who beat dozens of young boys, said: “Victims and survivors yearn for a strong, independent body to fight our corner. True, strong, independent safeguarding, like truth or justice, should not be a struggle for the Church of England but part of its lifeblood.
“Victims may be traumatised, fearful and fragile. Confidence in safeguarding has to be absolute. But put bluntly, victims do not trust Meg Munn.
“The Church of England has no one in authority shouting from the rooftops about the need for truly independent safeguarding oversight, neither Lead Bishops, Archbishops or Archbishops’ Council. Where is the prophetic voice? A truly independent ISB must be able to use its platform, strongly, firmly, and I am glad that Steve and Jasvinder have found their voice.”
A child victim said: “I feel very betrayed and let down by the Church of England over this. I’m devastated at the handling, not just of my own case, but the treatment of other children too and the fact that, as far as I can see, even those at the top are not taking the care of children seriously or protecting us.
“I feel abandoned by the church. In my view, they act in this way because trying to protect their reputation is much more important to them than doing the right thing.”
‘Children are let down over and over again’
Another victim, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that he would not be giving his testimony to the ISB if Ms Munn remains in post.
He added that her appointment to this “sensitive post is utterly unacceptable, inappropriate and irresponsible”.
The mother of a child who claims they were abused while a choristor added: “Children ought to be safe in the Church of England, but this dreadful saga shows that despite all the promises they have made this is simply not happening, and children are let down over and over again.
“The Church of England cannot be trusted to police itself. Until we have proper independent oversight these failings will continue and more children will be harmed.”
The Telegraph has seen a copy of the Independent Safeguarding Board’s (ISB) first annual report, which will be published on Monday, covering the period September 2021 to December 2022.
In a veiled criticism, it reports “a number of challenges and multiple instances in which our independence and freedom to operate has been hampered”.
A Church of England spokesperson said: “The Archbishops’ Council appointed Meg Munn as acting chair of the ISB until the end of the year, following the resignation of the original chair, so this important work could continue.
“Meg has pledged to work with the two Board members bringing her experience of independent scrutiny of the Church’s safeguarding work from the National Safeguarding Panel. Both Board members welcomed Meg to the role of acting chair, and they continue to offer an important voice in the Church’s safeguarding bodies, particularly from a survivor perspective.”