Reported cases of child abuse in England and Wales continue to rise, Catholic report finds

The number of reported incidents of child abuse in the Catholic Church in England and Wales continues to rise, according to the annual report of the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission (NCSC).

The small increase of two per cent comes as the Church works to overhaul its approach and review its procedures ahead of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), which will review institutions’ responses to child abuse.

“Good progress” has been made in the six months since the last report, according to the NCSC’s chairman, Christopher Pearson, with more than 96 per cent of parishes now covered by safeguarding representatives.

Yet some religious orders have still not signed up to the commission’s guidance, according to the NCSC. The commission does not have the powers to force religious orders to be compliant, explained vice-chair, Sr Lyndsay Spendelow (pictured). “We are aware that there are a few who have not signed up,” she said at the report’s launch on 26 May. “We are looking at ways of trying to monitor it.”

“We have no jurisdiction over [the orders], but we are very concerned about it,” she added. “All we can do is encourage people to sign up.” 

The report reveals that a quarter of the incidents of abuse reported last year were new rather than historical cases. Allegations were made against 93 individuals by 122 children; the highest number of complaints were against priests but 38 allegations were against volunteers and parishioners.

“One case is one too many,” said Dr Colette Limbrick, director of the Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service (CSAS). But she was encouraged that people now had the confidence to report abuse early. “People are reporting within a year and not waiting 20, 30 or 40 years. I am greatly reassured people are coming forward now,” she said.

The commission is planning to roll out a national telephone help­line next year to support survivors of abuse, according to Mr Pearson. “There is never a point of saying we have achieved all that is necessary,” he said, adding, “complacency is the enemy of safeguarding … we constantly have to be open to challenging others and being challenged ourselves.”

Rose Gamble