Church Braced for Shame over Child Abuse Revelations

By Kaya Burgess
The Times
February 12, 2018

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/church-braced-for-shame-over-child-abuse-revelations-k83jch3zk

The Right Rev Peter Hancock told the General Synod that “deeply painful” accounts of abuse, poor response and cover-up would be heard

The Church of England faces a painful two years of revelations about sexual abuse and cover-ups as independent inquiries get under way, a bishop has said.

The Bishop of Bath and Wells warned members of the church’s General Synod that they would feel a “deep sense of shame” as accounts emerge of sexual abusers within the church and a lack of support and credence given to their victims.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse will start three weeks of hearings next month to examine the church’s failure to protect vulnerable people from sexual abusers, focusing on the diocese of Chichester, where there have been several allegations.

Two further hearings will be held. One, in July, will examine the case of Peter Ball, formerly Bishop…