UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News
The Archbishop of Canterbury has promised to investigate sex abuse in the Church of England if the judge-led abuse inquiry does not look into it within six months, survivors say.
Justin Welby made the promise during a private meeting with survivors earlier this week, they say.
The independent inquiry into child sex abuse led by Justice Lowell Goddard is expected to last five years.
Lambeth Palace said the archbishop wanted the Church to be reviewed first.
But it said if this did not happen within six months, then the archbishop would instigate an “independently-led past cases review”.
Muhammed al Huseini, who was one of five people representing survivors’ groups at the meeting at Lambeth Palace, said: “During the meeting that we had with Justin Welby he promised that he would undertake an independent audit into abuse in the Church of England and this independent audit would be overseen by survivors’ organisations, representatives, sat alongside representatives of the archbishop.”
‘Momentous’ day
Marilyn Hawes is founder of Enough Abuse UK, which she set up after her sons were abused by a Church of England headteacher.
She was at the meeting and told BBC Radio 5 live that day was a “momentous one for the survivor community”, adding that there needs to be an emphasis on abuse prevention in future.
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