THE General Synod has apologised for the failure of the Church
of England's systems to protect children, young people, and
vulnerable adults from physical and sexual abuse, and to listen
properly to those abused. The apology has been received as
potentially "meaningless" by a group of abuse survivors.
On Sunday afternoon, members of the Synod voted
unanimously in favour of a motion endorsing the "unreserved"
apology written by the Archbishops, and inviting the Business
Committee to draft legislation toughening up the Church's
safeguarding procedures.
Before introducing the motion, the Bishop of
Southwell & Nottingham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler
(above), who co-chairs the Safeguarding Liaison Group,
read out a statement from the Stop Church Child Abuse Group, some
of whose members were present in the public gallery. The statement
criticised the Church for not permitting survivors to "speak for
themselves" and for failing to consult survivors on the motion. It
suggested that an apology made "without the costly engagement of
reaching out to the victims" was "meaningless". It questioned
whether the apology was the "first step to something more" or "a
game . . . to present a Church responsive to its past failings . .
. until the next time". It called for an independent public
inquiry.
Bishop Butler did not respond to the request for a
public inquiry, but said that the motion was "only one first step
on the way. I understand why survivors will struggle to trust us
that the journey will continue; you have been let down so often. I
hope, however, you will be able to recognise that this is a
significant point in our journey." He concluded: "We failed, big
time. We can do nothing other than confess our sin, repent, and
commit ourselves to being different in the years ahead."
The Archbishop of Canterbury said that the statement
read out from survivors of abuse at the start of the debate had
been "absolutely agonising. . . What it says, above all, is that,
for us, what we're looking at today is far from enough." Archbishop
Welby said that there would always be dangerous people in
congregations: "This is not an issue we can deal with: it is
something we will live with, and must live in the reality of, day
in, day out, for as long as the Church exists, and seek to get it
right."
While processes had to be dealt with, "culture change
is by far the hardest one to do." It would require "enormous
determination" to produce "a culture that looks first to justice
for survivors, to justice, transparency, admission of where we have
failed". This change "must be done . . . with the survivors, not to
them. We have spent very many years doing things to them; we must
only act with them. That will mean much more than we imagine as we
sit here listening . . . and reflecting on dark and desperate acts
in the past."
Members of the Synod spoke of a need to consider how
to support those accused of or guilty of perpetrating abuse. Canon
Simon Butler of Southwark diocese recounted the story of somebody
in a former parish who was accused of abuse, remanded in custody,
and, after being released on bail, committed suicide. "That moment
has been the most painful, unresolved failure in my pastoral
ministry," he said.
The Bishop of Chichester, Dr Martin Warner, spoke as
a bishop who had inherited a diocese where "failures, cover-ups,
lies and deceit" had taken place. Bishops had a part to play in
engaging with survivors and nurturing a Church that was more
humble, compassionate, and humane. He paid tribute to the survivors
whom he had met and to the "tenacious and fearless" journalist
Colin Campbell. Some survivors had told him that what they had
missed most was "access to the practice of their faith". He
concluded: "I would hope and pray that our intentions and
demonstration of a different future will enable them to return
joyfully to that."