UNITED KINGDOM
The Tablet
13 July 2015 by Liz Dodd
The Church of England voted this weekend to introduce a raft of new measures aimed at strengthening safeguarding procedures.
Under the new measures approved by General Synod on Saturday archbishops and bishops – who can already suspend clergy against whom allegations have been made – can now do so based on information received from local authorities and police.
In addition, a one-year limitation period for complaints of sexual misconduct made against clergy has been removed.
Bishops are also now obliged to appoint a Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser.
People named on statutory barred lists under the Safeguarding and Vulnerable Groups Act can now be disqualified from serving as church wardens or members of the parochial church council; they can also be suspended in the same way as clergy.
For the first time clergy are obliged to follow the House of Bishops’ guidelines. Up to now it has only been recommended. It has taken the Church of England two years to implement the package, which was introduced at Synod in February 2014 following a consultation launched in July 2013.
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