ENGLAND
The Guardian
August 12, 2020
By Harriet Sherwood
Clergy and abuse survivors sign letter highlighting problems in handling complaints
The Charity Commission has been asked to intervene in the Church of England’s investigations of senior figures embroiled in abuse complaints.
A letter to the commission has complained of the “impaired transparency and intermittent accountability” of the church’s main safeguarding body. Dozens of signatories include survivors, clergy, lawyers, academics and a serving bishop.
They say church leaders have failed to devise a “safe, consistent and fair system of redress to all parties engaged in safeguarding complaints”.
The letter adds: “The continuing flow of cases of injustice leads us to seek early intervention from the Charity Commission. We do this with reluctance, having tried and failed to secure redress through multiple complaints across the structure.”
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