O/t - Church of England

[Eternal Optimist]

Don't forget the Catholics. My wife attended a Catholic primary school in Rotherham and the treatment she describes receiving from one teacher in particular borders on sadistic.

Not St. Bede's was it?

I can tell you some tales if so...

[KerrAvon]

Nobody has said that religion per se is the cause of abuse but religious institutions certainly provide the opportunity and cover for it to happen on an apparently significant scale.
I'm hoping that some investigative journalists will get their teeth into this and expose the scale of the scandal.

Smyth's activities were made public after an investigation by journalists from Channel 4. That prompted the investigation commissioned by the Church of England, the outcome of which caused Welby to resign.

[mellowmiller]

Smyth's activities were made public after an investigation by journalists from Channel 4. That prompted the investigation commissioned by the Church of England, the outcome of which caused Welby to resign.

And? Do you think that was the end of it?
It seems more likely that was when the cover up went into overdrive.
Anyway, it looks as though things are starting to move a bit more rapidly now with 30 more bishops under pressure to resign.
Hopefully a lot more victims will be brave enough to come forward to blow the lid off the scale of the abuse that some are claiming is still going on right now.

[Spuddy Speight]

And? Do you think that was the end of it?
It seems more likely that was when the cover up went into overdrive.
Anyway, it looks as though things are starting to move a bit more rapidly now with 30 more bishops under pressure to resign.
Hopefully a lot more victims will be brave enough to come forward to blow the lid off the scale of the abuse that some are claiming is still going on right now.

Could just be the tip of an iceberg? ( And I'm not referring to a lettuce ) .

[KerrAvon]

And? Do you think that was the end of it?
It seems more likely that was when the cover up went into overdrive.
Anyway, it looks as though things are starting to move a bit more rapidly now with 30 more bishops under pressure to resign.
Hopefully a lot more victims will be brave enough to come forward to blow the lid off the scale of the abuse that some are claiming is still going on right now.

I don’t think anyone has to claim that abuse is still going on within the Church of England. As I have said many times before and will doubtless say again, it occurs wherever adults come into contact with children. On that basis I think it inevitable that it is still going on within just about every organisation or area of activity where that happens and so it should be assumed that it is.

In respect of the CoE, we have the Independent Inquiry into Child ***ual Abuse (IICSA) report in 2020 in which we were told that there was abuse going on within the COE and that the church had frequently put the protection of its reputation over safeguarding:

https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports-rec...an-church.html

Many victims came forward to IICSA in relation to the CoE and other modules. I know this for professional reasons.

We have also had the specific cases of Smyth, which Channel 4 blew the lid off and the subsequent independent Makin Report, which confirmed that his abuse had been known about and not acted upon by people including Welby:

https://www.churchofengland.org/site...ember-2024.pdf

In the past we have also specific and similar revelations about Bishop Peter Ball.

With the above in mind, I have two points:

1. What are investigative journalists going to tell us that we don’t already know?
2. Why would such journalists spend their time breaking a story that has already been broken?

That leads into my further overreaching point, which is instead of simply seeking a retelling of the story and a further fix of outrage, why don’t we press for something to be done about it? The starting point would be a duty of candour – a legal obligation upon bodies such as churches and the office holders within them to make reports to the police. I am making no comment upon the extent of Welby’s knowledge, because I have only skim read the Makin Report, but the point is that even if he had full knowledge of Smyth’s conduct and did nothing, he carries no criminal liability under English law as it stands.

[UlleyMiller]

As I have said many times before and will doubtless say again, it occurs wherever adults come into contact with children.

I highly doubt that secular schools (as an environment where adults routinely encounter children) have anything like the amount of prolific abusers as religious organisations. I also doubt that, in general, the extremity of the individual cases are as vile, continuous, or destructive.

I'd also doubt that schools or academy groups, in general, would apply anything like the amount of effort religious organisations will to conceal, or protect the perpetrator, once cases are uncovered.

In my lifetime, I'd wager the same logic applies to childrens wards in hospitals, youth organisations such as scouts/girl guides, and organised sport.

[Yak]

I highly doubt that secular schools (as an environment where adults routinely encounter children) have anything like the amount of prolific abusers as religious organisations. I also doubt that, in general, the extremity of the individual cases are as vile, continuous, or destructive.

I'd also doubt that schools or academy groups, in general, would apply anything like the amount of effort religious organisations will to conceal, or protect the perpetrator, once cases are uncovered.

In my lifetime, I'd wager the same logic applies to childrens wards in hospitals, youth organisations such as scouts/girl guides, and organised sport.

The enhanced DBS has supported a lot of employers and organisations in reducing the risk but the risk will always be there wherever access to children is needed.
I’d like to think that Schools in 2024 wouldn’t cover anything up. I’d like to think so!!

[frogmiller]

Justin Welby

Why would he be a member of the World Economic forum ?

https://www.weforum.org/stories/authors/justin-welby/

1978, MA, Trinity College, Cambridge; 1992, BA and Diploma in Ministry, St John?s College, Durham. 1978-83, Soci?t? Nationale Elf Aquitaine, Paris; 1983-84, Elf UK, London; 1984-89, Enterprise Oil, London. 1993, Priested; 1993-2002, Priest at Astley, Southam and Ufton; 2002-05, Canon Residentiary, Coventry Cathedral; 2005-07, Canon Residentiary and Sub Dean, Coventry Cathedral; 2007-11, Dean of Liverpool; 2011-13, Bishop of Durham. 2012-13, Member, Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards. Since 2011, Member of the House of Lords. Since 2013, Archbishop of Canterbury.

[mellowmiller]

KerrAvon asked:
1. What are investigative journalists going to tell us that we don?t already know?
2. Why would such journalists spend their time breaking a story that has already been broken?

I'm struggling to understand why you seem to think there's nothing more to this story than the little bit we already know.

1. A good investigative journalist will dig deep into the details to uncover the complete scale of the abuse both historic and current.
People probably thought they knew about Al Fayed but only recently are the true scale of his abusive activities being exposed.
2. It's not about "breaking a story" it's about expanding it with a view to ensuring the perpetrators are brought to justice and then hopefully putting robust safeguarding measures in place.

This story does not end with the resignation of the hapless Welby. We are now being told that a further 30 bishops are under investigation and as someone has already said, that may just be the tip of the iceberg.
Don't you find these developments even slightly concerning?

[Eternal Optimist]

Justin Welby

Why would he be a member of the World Economic forum ?...

Because they love a pliable liar.