Churches told to open files to abuse inquiry

The chairwoman of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has written to the Churches and religious organisations to warn that files and records will be required when the  inquiry gets under way.

In her memo, Lowell Goddard  QC requests that files are searched and that no records are prematurely destroyed that later would have been required as evidence.

The information the inquiry needs to see might include notes and correspondence in relation to allegations – substantiated or not – of individuals, organisations, institutions or public bodies that have been involved in child sexual abuse or exploitation.

According to canon law, Catholic dioceses have both a diocesan archive and a secret archive.  The latter includes docu­ments relating to criminal cases in “matters of morals”. Canon law states that documents in cases where the accused parties have died or 10 years have elapsed from sentence should be destroyed. However, “a brief summary of what occurred along with the text of the definitive sentence is to be retained.”

Meanwhile, two Catholic charities have challenged the Scottish Government’s choice of chair­woman to head its inquiry into historic cases of child abuse. The Poor Sisters of Nazareth and the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul have lodged a petition for judicial review, following the appointment of Susan O’Brien QC to head the public inquiry on conflict of interest grounds. O’Brien had previously acted for individuals alleging historic abuse at a care home run by Nazareth sisters.