STATEMENT / Archbishops Council IICSA Opening Statement

NEWS / The first day of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) hearing into the Anglican Church in England and Wales - looking at the diocese of Chichester as a case study - heard opening statements from representatives of all the core participants.

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse; an open letter from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the lead safeguarding bishop and the national director of safeguarding.

NEWS / Read the opening statement on behalf of the Archbishops’ Council as part of the IICSA hearing into Peter Ball.

Summary of September meeting 

It was announced that the Bishop of Truro, Philip Mountstephen, is joining the NSSG and will take on the role as Chair of the Redress Scheme Project Board. It was noted that the extensive programme of work in safeguarding will need additional new episcopal members. The Terms of Reference of the group also need to be reviewed to ensure that they are fit for purpose in the context of the implementation of the Independent Safeguarding Board.

Safe Spaces, the free, independent national support service for victims and survivors of church-related abuse, have produced new posters for churches to signpost to their free confidential helpline.

The Terms of Reference for the ‘PCR2 Reference Group’ which will oversee Past Cases Review 2 for the National Church Institutions has been published today.  

Launch of vital national survey to understand how victims and survivors would like to be involved in the development and implementation of a Church of England survivor engagement framework.

The Church of England is supporting the international campaign for 16 days of activism to end gender-based violence, as newly released figures show that there has been a 37% increase in reports of domestic abuse to diocesan safeguarding advisers over the past three years (2019-2021).

Bishop of Huddersfield, Jonathan Gibbs, the Church of England’s lead safeguarding bishop said: “An independent investigation into allegations that the Dean, Martyn Percy, failed to fulfil his safeguarding responsibilities has concluded the Dean acted entirely appropriately in each case.