UNITED KINGDOM
The Packet
Helen Dale, Reporter
The Church of England in Cornwall has teamed up with a charity to provide free and independent help for anybody who feels they may have been subject to any form of abuse from within a church context.
The Diocese of Truro has commissioned Skoodhya to provide its Authorised Listeners, who are there to provide a first point of contact for people who feel they may have experienced abuse.
Diocesan safeguarding adviser, Sarah Acraman, said: “We wanted to provide somewhere people could go and be actively, professionally and confidentially listened to, while they decide whether or not they want to take things any further, and maybe consult police or seek formal counselling for example.
“It is about us taking responsibility for those who may have been let down by the church, and offering a first step to recovery for those who need to talk. Sadly this has not always been the case for the church. While of course we are doing everything we can to prevent abuse, we have to acknowledge that it can and does happen within lots of organisations and the church is no different. Therefore the time has come to take responsibility, and really listen to our members.
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