UNITED KINGDOM
Daily Mail

By JENNIFER SMITH
17 August 2013

The Diocese of York will open files on deceased members of its clergy in a bid to address alleged cases of child abuse.

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Semantu,has ordered that files dating back more than 60 years be scrutinised and examined by an independent reviewer as part of an investigation into clerical sex abuse.
Dr Semantu told the BBC: ‘The damage done by the sexual abuse of children is immense and the passage of time does not in itself bring healing’.

‘Where young people are shown to have been betrayed by individuals in a position of trust and by the institution’s failure to protect them, it is for the church to acknowledge the hurt which has been done.’

Dr Semantu said it is the church’s responsibility to ensure that ‘policies and practices are improved such…