The Church of England has announced a delay in the legislation to introduce the Redress Scheme for survivors of Church-related abuse. Details are in a press release which is copied below.
Redress scheme update
15/01/2025
The legislation to introduce the Redress Scheme for survivors of Church-related abuse will not be laid before General Synod for final approval in February, as previously scheduled, so that final checks can be carried out to ensure its eligibility criteria are robust enough in light of the Makin report.
The Scheme infrastructure is now in place and the Scheme is ready to receive applications once legislation is complete, following an enormous amount of work by survivors and others over the last three years.
However, the Church of England is deeply committed to developing a robust and effective Redress Scheme for survivors of Church-related abuse. So the Redress Project Board, which is advised by survivors, has decided to reflect further on the findings of the Makin report and to consider whether the Scheme’s eligibility criteria sufficiently recognise negligence of Church office-holders who have received a safeguarding allegation or disclosure and have not responded appropriately.
This is a serious and important question, and the Redress Project Board will consider carefully the implications of recognising this more fully through the Scheme’s eligibility criteria. This work requires very thorough analysis before the Project Board can decide whether or not it wishes to make any amendments to the current eligibility criteria and is not a guarantee that new or different policy decisions will be taken.
The Survivor Working Group will continue to play a vital role in shaping the Scheme, providing expert advice and guidance, and two Survivor Working Group representatives will continue to hold voting positions on the Project Board.
The legislation that will underpin the Scheme requires successful passage through the Church and parliamentary legislative processes before the Scheme can open to applications. The earliest that the Redress (Abuse) Measure would be laid before General Synod is July 2025.
37 CommentsThe November 2024 issue of the Journal of Anglican Studies is now available online. It contains nine items related to abuse and the failures of safeguarding within the church. Each article is available as a separate PDF file. Most, though not all, of the articles deal specifically with the Church of England. The “Afterword” contains a comprehensive critique of the current English situation.
Editorial by Martyn Percy and Rosie Harper
Rt Revd Dr Alan Thomas Lawrence Wilson
This edition of the Journal is dedicated to Alan Wilson. A separate article discusses his experience of the extent of abuse within the church and his commitment to reforming the institution’s response. This passion was developed in the context of a far broader array of interests and expertise.
Alan’s heart was drawn to matters of justice and equality beyond the everyday work of an Area Bishop, which he did with a substantial pastoral heart and exacting attention to detail. He saw it as an imperative of both his faith and shared humanity. His spirituality was adventurous and exploratory, with roots in the Benedictine tradition. This led him to value simplicity and humility. It also meant that belief became real when it was embodied. Sitting on the sidelines was not for him..
Mark Williams and Hans Zollner
Glimpses of Hope: Reflections on Journeying with Survivors of Clergy Sexual Abuse
Gerald West
Tamar Summons the Church to Account: Resisting Patriarchal (and Ecclesial) Impunity in 2 Samuel 13:21
Martyn Percy
Speaking Truth to Power Structures: Integrity and Identity in Ecclesiology
Josephine Anne Stein
‘There Isn’t One!’ Church of England Safeguarding Policy
Fergus J. King, Alexandra Banks, Alfred Sebahene, Nant Hnin Hnin Aye, Maimbo W.F. Mndolwa, Albert Chama
Towards a Safe Church: More Than a Lambeth Call
Clive Stephen Billenness, Rosie Harper, Martin Sewell
The Post Office at Prayer? Auditing Risk and Practice: A Safeguarding Appraisal
Editorial by Martyn Percy
Afterword: Safeguarding – The Future of Risk and Responsibility
We reported on 10 December that Rochester has no confidence in the Archbishops’ Council.
This provoked the Council to respond on 20 December, see Archbishops’ Council responds to Rochester Diocesan Synod’s motion of no confidence and the full text of the letter signed by the Secretary General, William Nye is available here.
Rochester diocese has now replied to that letter. See:
Two revised Church of England safeguarding codes of practice have been made available this week.
They are both on the agenda for next month’s meeting of the General Synod as deemed business. This means that each will be deemed to be approved unless 25 members give notice in advance that they wish the code to be debated.
In addition to the codes themselves, the papers explain why the codes are required, what has changed, and give details of the consultation process.
If approved, these Codes will go live on the 1 September 2025 (Managing Allegations) and 1 March 2025 (Religious Communities).
53 CommentsConsequent upon the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury which took effect yesterday, the Archbishop of York has issued this letter to Clergy and Lay Ministers, which is also available as a PDF here.
81 CommentsThe Church Times has this report: Synod to vote in February on future of church safeguarding
For background and context see Safeguarding and independence.
The new document mentioned can be found here: Wilkinson-Jay Response Group – Emerging Proposals
This describes the two models (out of the original four) between which the General Synod will be asked to make a choice in February. It’s worth the time to read the whole of this document to get the sense of where the Response Group is heading.
The differences are summarised by the Church Times this way:
Updated Wednesday
The Rochester diocesan synod has passed a vote of No Confidence in the Archbishops’ Council with reference to safeguarding.
“That this Synod resolves to pass a vote of no confidence in the Archbishops’ Council’s oversight of safeguarding and urges for the necessary reforms to restore trust, safeguard the vulnerable, and uphold the Church’s moral and legal responsibilities.”
The voting was:
In favour: 51
Against: 5
Abstentions: 9
The diocesan bishop supported the motion.
For more details, including a link to the full text of the proposer’s speech, see here: Diocesan Synod backs vote of no confidence
This action has attracted some media attention:
The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke yesterday (Thursday 5 December) in the House of Lords, in the course of a debate on Housing. His remarks have attracted a very considerable amount of criticism. So much so that he has now issued a statement of apology for them. Some relevant links follow.
Hansard, text of the speech. Parliament Live TV, video recording
The full text is copied here below the fold.
Friday 6 December A personal statement by the Archbishop of Canterbury
Yesterday, I gave my farewell speech in the House of Lords, as part of a debate on housing and homelessness.
I would like to apologise wholeheartedly for the hurt that my speech has caused.
I understand that my words – the things that I said, and those I omitted to say – have caused further distress for those who were traumatised, and continue to be harmed, by John Smyth’s heinous abuse, and by the far reaching effects of other perpetrators of abuse.
I did not intend to overlook the experience of survivors, or to make light of the situation – and I am very sorry for having done so.
It remains the case that I take both personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period after 2013, and the harm that this has caused survivors.
I continue to feel a profound sense of shame at the Church of England’s historic safeguarding failures.
Friday 6 December. Safeguarding bishops apologise to survivors following Archbishop’s speech
113 CommentsThe Lead Bishops for Safeguarding, Joanne Grenfell, Julie Conalty and Robert Springett have written to survivors and their advocates following the Archbishop of Canterbury’s speech in the House of Lords.
We write after watching Archbishop Justin’s farewell speech in the House of Lords yesterday. We have heard from several of you about the distress and anger that this has caused you.
Both in content and delivery, the speech was utterly insensitive, lacked any focus on victims and survivors of abuse, especially those affected by John Smyth, and made light of the events surrounding the Archbishop’s resignation. It was mistaken and wrong. We acknowledge and deeply regret that this has caused further harm to you in an already distressing situation.
We know that the Church of England has seriously failed over many years at many levels in relation to safeguarding, and we are so sorry that yesterday’s speech was the antithesis of all that we are now trying to work towards in terms of culture change and redress with all of you.
As lead bishops for safeguarding in the Church of England, we apologize to you.
We will continue to do all we can to change the culture of the Church, so that abuse is exposed and prevented, those in authority are held to account, and the searching light of truth is allowed to shine into every corner of our lives.
If you are or are in contact with someone affected by this letter, please call the Safe Spaces helpline on 0300 303 1056 or visit this webpage where other support services are listed.
Joanne Grenfell, Julie Conalty, Robert Springett
Lead bishops for safeguarding
Updated 20 January 2025
December 2024
The Church of England has recently published two press releases on this topic.
This describes progress to date by the Wilkinson and Jay Reports Response Group which will report to the General Synod in February 2025.
This describes work being done by the National Safeguarding Team in conjunction with dioceses and others, to follow up the recommendations of the Makin report. A four stage process is outlined.
The following reaction to the latter has already appeared at Church Abuse: Church of England announces response to Makin review: kick it into the long grass.
We will add any further items relating to these two releases as they appear.
Update: this was issued on 16 January: Update on Makin Review Methodology
30 CommentsAndrew Brown has published these two articles on his The slow deep hover blog.
He also wrote this for the Church Times: Press: Media mob helps Welby’s foes to get their way
80 CommentsOn Tuesday, Richard Scorer (Principal Lawyer at Slater and Gordon) wrote on behalf of one of his clients, Gilo, to both the archbishops. This was a follow-up to an earlier letter of 23 June 2023, to which no substantive reply has yet been received.
The full text of both letters can be read here:
Presumably, it will now fall exclusively to the Archbishop of York to reply.
The first letter was concerned with a meeting which included both National Safeguarding Team members, and representatives of Ecclesiastical Insurance, that took place in August 2016, and the handling of an earlier (2020) complaint about that event.
The second letter seeks to discover the outcome of a further meeting held in June 2024 by the Archbishops’ Council Audit Committee to examine how that 2020 complaint had been handled. To date no report has been issued (and the original 2023 questions remain unanswered).
In addition, the second letter refers to more recent questions raised by Gilo in relation to the York diocesan Past Cases Review 2. Again, no answers have yet been received.
57 CommentsWe reported last year on the Bishop of Newcastle’s withdrawal of Lord Sentamu’s Permission to Officiate. Links to our previous articles are here. The bishop issued a new statement on Monday of this week, which is copied below.
A Statement from the Rt Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Newcastle
First published on: 11th November 2024
Please find below a statement from the Right Reverend Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Newcastle.
“Following my call for the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury I need to share the contents of a letter I received from both the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York a matter of days before the publication of the Makin Report.
“It is my considered view that the letter I received from both Archbishops sent to me in such close proximity to the publication of the Makin review (regardless of its intended publication date) signifies a wider and systemic dysfunction of how the hierarchy of The Church of England has dealt with matters of safeguarding and most particularly the impact of church-related abuse on victims and survivors. Moreover, the archbishops’ use of what I experienced as coercive language when I read their letter indicates a complete lack of awareness of how power dynamics operate in the life of the Church.
“The decision to make this letter and its response public has not been taken lightly. Quite simply it is the right thing to do.”
Click here to read the letter from the archbishops in full.
Please note that the letter received from the archbishops was sent on 31 October and the Bishop of Newcastle replied on 5 November, before the publication of the Makin review. Click here to read Bishop Helen-Ann’s response.
143 CommentsStatements from bishops
News reports
Church Times Archbishop of Canterbury announces resignation
The Guardian Justin Welby says he will step down as archbishop of Canterbury
BBC Live News Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigns over Church abuse scandal
The Telegraph Live Archbishop of Canterbury resigns
The Tablet Archishop of Canterbury resigns over abuse scandal
Independent Justin Welby resigns as Archbishop of Canterbury after ‘failures’ over Church of England sex abuser
The Guardian Bishop says more C of E senior clergy may need to resign over abuse scandal
[This is Julie Conalty, the bishop of Birkenhead and deputy lead bishop for safeguarding]
Other comment
Gavin Drake The Archbishop of Canterbury’s resignation won’t make the Church of England a safer place
Stephen Bates The Guardian Justin Welby: why archbishop chosen for his managerial skills had to go
Martyn Percy Prospect Welby is gone–but trust in the Church is broken beyond repair
The following statement was released by the Lambeth Palace Press Office at 2pm today.
Statement from the Archbishop of Canterbury
12/11/2024
Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth.
When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow.
It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.
It is my duty to honour my Constitutional and church responsibilities, so exact timings will be decided once a review of necessary obligations has been completed, including those in England and in the Anglican Communion.
I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our profound commitment to creating a safer church. As I step down I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse.
The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England. For nearly twelve years I have struggled to introduce improvements. It is for others to judge what has been done.
In the meantime, I will follow through on my commitment to meet victims. I will delegate all my other current responsibilities for safeguarding until the necessary risk assessment process is complete.
I ask everyone to keep my wife Caroline and my children in their prayers. They have been my most important support throughout my ministry, and I am eternally grateful for their sacrifice. Caroline led the spouses’ programme during the Lambeth Conference and has travelled tirelessly in areas of conflict supporting the most vulnerable, the women, and those who care for them locally.
I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honoured to serve. I pray that this decision points us back towards the love that Jesus Christ has for every one of us.
For above all else, my deepest commitment is to the person of Jesus Christ, my saviour and my God; the bearer of the sins and burdens of the world, and the hope of every person.
Finding support
If you or anyone you are in contact with are affected by the publication of this report and want to talk to someone independently please call the Safe Spaces helpline on 0300 303 1056 or visit safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk.
Alternatively, you may wish to contact the diocesan safeguarding team in your area or the National Safeguarding Team at safeguarding@churchofengland.org.
There are also other support services available.
79 CommentsThis statement is issued at 1615 on Thursday 7 November on behalf of a number of victims and survivors of John Smyth QC. It is a response to the publication by the Church of England of the Makin Review. Bracketed references refer to that review.
This report, previously scheduled for publication on 13 November, has been published this afternoon.
Press Release: Independent review into Church’s handling of Smyth case published (copied in full below the fold)
Independent Learning Lessons Review John Smyth QC (253 pages)
Appendices (245 pages)
Personal Statement by the Archbishop of Canterbury
135 CommentsThe Church of England issued the following press release this morning.
Smyth independent review publication plan
22/10/2024
The National Safeguarding Team, NST, has now received the independent review from Keith Makin relating to the John Smyth case. A detailed plan, drawn up in consultation with survivors, is now in place to enable those that choose to do so to read the document in advance in a timely manner and with support on request. The NST has also been asked to factor in the half term period and the fact some of those impacted will not be around during those weeks. Once this process has been completed the report will be published in full on Wednesday November 13. On this day survivors will have the opportunity for a confidential webinar to ask questions. After the survivor webinar there will be a separate press conference.
13 CommentsThe Church Times reports: New working group to look at issues raised by Soul Survivor scandal
AFTER the exposure of “appalling practices and a shocking abuse of power” at Soul Survivor, in reviews by the National Safeguarding Team (NST) and Fiona Scolding KC, a group is being formed to carry out further work, the Bishop of Stepney, Dr Joanne Grenfell, the lead bishop for safeguarding, said this week.
The working group will look at ordination processes, clergy training and supervision, and safeguarding and governance in church-plants, bishop’s mission orders (BMOs), and mission charities that have an Anglican focus to their work…
The article refers to recent correspondence between a group of General Synod members and the Bishop of Stepney.
See letter to the Bishop of Stepney. And her reply.
Some background. At General Synod in July a motion was proposed by Robert Thompson but this was substantially amended by Bishop Joanne. See here and then here for the briefings prepared at that time, and over here for the Order Paper containing the motions. The outcome is recorded in the Business Done report.
Today on X (formerly Twitter) Robert Thompson has written this.
17 CommentsUpdated Saturday and again Wednesday
In November 2023 the Trustees of Soul Survivor festivals, Soul Survivor Watford, and Soul61 (collectively known as Soul Survivor) commissioned Fiona Scolding KC to conduct an Independent Review into the culture and practices of Soul Survivor, following the National Safeguarding Team’s investigation into Mike Pilavachi.
Responses
An initial statement from Richard Scorer is copied below the fold.
Updates
Further analysis by Richard Scorer: The Soul Survivor Report – Some Thoughts
God Loves Women: Scolding, Colluding or Both? My critique of the Scolding Review into Soul Survivor and Mike Pilavachi
Church Times: Scolding review of Soul Survivor scandal published
For further updates on Soul Survivor, I recommend weekly checking at The Soul Survivor Situation – A Timeline.
77 CommentsUpdated
Continued from here.
The BBC has published a further article: Why does the Church of England struggle to deal with child abuse allegations?
Gavin Drake has written Archbishops’ Council ignored chances to fix safeguarding risk assessment loophole
Bishop Philip North has published a reflection: Three Steps We Need to Take Towards a Safer Church – A Reflection on File on 4 ‘The Priest and the Payoff’
The Church Times reports: Risk assessment should suffice to remove a cleric from office, Bishop of Blackburn argues
43 Comments