UNITED KINGDOM
Archbishop of Canterbury

Sunday 7th July 2013

General Synod members today voted overwhelmingly to acknowledge and apologise for past safeguarding failures. In the debate, Archbishop Justin called for a culture “that looks first to justice for survivors” and to clarity, transparency and admission of failures. He added this must be done “with survivors, not to them.” Read his full statement below

The statement we heard at the beginning of this debate was, I know, to all of us – as has been said – absolutely agonising. And what it says above all is that, for us, what we’re looking at today is far from enough. We are opening a process, continuing a process in many ways, that will go far further than we can imagine. The reality is that there will always be people who are dangerous who are part of the life of the church. They…