SCOTLAND
Herald Scotland
Monday 8 June 2015
Stephen Naysmith
Social affairs correspondent
Victims and the groups that represent them have been cautious about the announcement that Susan O’Brien QC will lead the Scottish National Inquiry into historic child abuse, set up by the Scottish Government.
The remit of the inquiry is to examine abuse of children in formal institutions, such as children’s homes. Crucially while that will include homes run by churches, the inquiry will not cover abuse in more general faith settings.
The latest voice to object to this limitation comes from churches themselves. The Churches Child Protection Advisory Service, a Christian charity based in Kent, but also registered in Scotland, says this is simply letting churches off the hook.
Instead, it says, the Scottish Government should have adopted the methodology currently being employed by the Australian Royal Commission Inquiry.
Abuse, it says, is just as likely to have occurred at churches in settings such as Sunday services. Paedophiles often seek out places of worship, CCPAS argues, as they are seen as a soft touch.
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