Clerical abuse survivors step up call for accountability

UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian

Harriet Sherwood Religion correspondent

Thursday 6 July 2017

Survivors of clerical sexual abuse in the Church of England are stepping up their campaign for accountability after a damning independent review last month which said senior Anglican figures had colluded to downplay criminal offences.

Survivors have called for a body without links to the church to take over its safeguarding process, prompting an offer from Lambeth Palace to meet survivors to discuss their proposals.

Graham Sawyer, a survivor, told the Guardian: “I fear that until it does so this is going to become worse and worse as matters have simply gone too far now.”

Another, Matt Ineson – previously known as “Michael” – has waived his anonymity to tell of his alleged rape as a teenager by a vicar. He has made his identity public as part of a campaign for justice sent to almost 500 members of the C of E’s ruling body, the synod, which meets in York this weekend.

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