UNITED KINGDOM
Premier

Fri 27 Nov 2015
By Hannah Tooley

The Anglican and Catholic churches will be among several institutions facing investigation in the UK’s independent child abuse inquiry.

The investigation, known as the Goddard Inquiry, is being led by Justice Lowell Goddard, who also said councils in Lambeth, Nottinghamshire and Rochdale will be examined.

The New Zealand judge set out 12 different areas which will come under scrutiny.

Simon Bass, from the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service, told Premier churches should be trustworthy places: “The Church by-and-large is a place of safety and sanctuary, but clearly it’s also a place where individuals have been harmed – and often by those individuals in positions of authority.

“This will I’m sure be a wake-up call, not just for the Church of England and the Catholic Church, but all denominations to ensure they have addressed safeguarding by current standards today…