Goddard Inquiry to Hold Hearings on Abuse Linked to Church and Rochdale Council

Care Appointments
March 17, 2016

http://www.careappointments.co.uk/care-news/england/item/39256-goddard-inquiry-to-hold-hearings-on-abuse-linked-to-church-and-rochdale-council

The public inquiry into historical child sex abuse will hold preliminary hearings linked to its investigations into allegations that exploitation took place within the Anglican Church and through Rochdale council.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse is investigating the appropriateness of child protection policies and practices within the Church of England, the Church in Wales and other Anglican churches in the two countries.

Investigations will focus on the prevalence of child sex abuse, the adequacy of previous case reviews and the extent to which the culture within the Anglican Church inhibited the exposure and prevention of exploitation.

The inquiry will examine sexual abuse associated with the Diocese of Chichester, as well as failings over Peter Ball, the former Bishop of Lewes and Bishop of Gloucester who was jailed for 32 months in October 2015 after pleading guilty to historical sex offences, 22 years after originally being investigated and cautioned by police.