Catholic Church in Scotland must make a ‘public apology’ to survivors of abuse within the church

SCOTLAND
Daily Record

A commission led by the Very Rev Andrew McLellan has called for survivors of abuse to be prioritised.

The Catholic Church in Scotland must address the wrongs of the past, according to an independent review of its handling of abuse allegations.

A commission led by the Very Rev Andrew McLellan has recommended that the church’s safeguarding guidelines be updated and has called for survivors of abuse to be prioritised.

Mr McLellan, a former moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and one-time chief inspector of prisons, was tasked with evaluating the procedures in place to protect vulnerable children and adults and ensure that the church is “a safe place for all”.

At a press conference in Edinburgh to set out the findings of his 11-member commission, he said: “Nothing in our independent report is more important than our first recommendation: that support for the survivors of abuse must be an absolute priority for the Catholic Church in Scotland.”

The commission has also recommended that a public apology is made to survivors of abuse within the church.

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