Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Does the CofE meet the Standards of the Nolan Principles in its Life?
The Church of England has a Redress Blog. It is “a blog for survivors and victims to express in their own words what “redress” means to them and to share their hopes for the National Redress Scheme. It is also a blog for Church officers and staff to provide regular updates on the progress the Church is making towards developing the Scheme.” Although the blog has been in place since October, it was only this week that there was a press release drawing attention to it. So far there have been these four posts.
LISTEN I am a victim of severe emotional abuse by one of our priests. In desperation I tried a CDM because I was being consistently ignored despite my acute distress. That failed of course but instead of an appeal to a High Court judge I was offered that the suffragan bishop would talk to the three priests involved. That was supposed to happen in September but it is now December and I have heard nothing. This follows a pattern. Silence and clergy sticking together. For me silence is just more abuse. I can only speak for myself but I don’t… Read more »
When I saw this announcement about a CofE Redress Blog, I assumed we could respond to the blogs and interact with the blogger. But no, you can’t. These blogs are reiterations of tiresome excuses for the leadership keeping control, moving slowly, and doing as little as possible. Any survivor or victim tempted to dip into the blogs would be well advised to give them a wide berth. They are just more of the same abuse, re traumatising people who’ve already lived for years, even decades, with a deaf, blind and dumb church. Nothing has changed. The CofE and it’s safeguarding… Read more »
To the two David’s having read their comments most very sad to read.If they have not to date thought about contacting their Members of Parliament could I please encourage them to do so. Share their experiences and trauma and invite them to ask questions in both Houses of Parliament if this is something their advisers support……enough is enough……those in ‘public life’ including people in leadership roles in the Cof E MUST be held accountable and follow the 7 Nolan Principles of Governance in any Institution.
Dear David,
That’s a constructive suggestion and one I would certainly take up but as I live in Berlin I no longer have an MP. Any suggestions about who I could write to ?
What I find most depressing is that a tiny bit of kindness, a tiny bit of compassion, a tiny bit of Christian love would have avoided all this.
Those of us who live in Europe have few options .
If we are cast adrift by our Anglican parish there are no English speaking alternatives and no MP to complain to.
When I lived in Germany I wrote to the MP of the last constituency I lived in and received a normal response.
Thank you, all three Davids, for your comments. I’m so sorry, David H and David G, for what you have been going through. Captures what so many of us survivors experience. I’m not expecting much out of the Interim Support Scheme or the National Redress Scheme. Who benefits from them? Mainly the people on the secretariats, consultants and lawyers who run them, so far as I can tell. When the Church employs well over 250 people in safeguarding roles (directly and indirectly, including external lawyers), this costs at least £30 million/year, probably closer to £50 million if you count people… Read more »
Reply to David Hawkins-I am not an expert and would suggest in the first instance to make contact with the Member who represents YOU in the German Federal Parliament. Arrange to meet and outline your case, background with ALL the relevant information etc.
Ask if your Member will write to the relevant Bishop in Europe to present your case to the Safeguarding Board, Church of England, Church House, London. I hope this is helpful, thank you