Phrases of Pope Francis on sexual abuse in the Church 1:29
(CNN) -
"The Church of England failed to protect children and youth from sexual predators within its ranks."
This was established in a report published on Tuesday by the Independent Investigation of the United Kingdom on Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).
The investigation accused the country's established Church of “not taking abuse seriously, creating a culture where abusers could hide.
The alleged perpetrators received more support than the victims, who often faced barriers to reporting that they simply could not overcome ”.
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From the 1940s to 2018, 390 people who were clergy or held positions of trust associated with the Church have been convicted of sex crimes against children, the IICSA said in a statement.
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To ensure that appropriate measures are taken in the future, “it is essential that the importance of protecting children from abominable sexual abuse is continually reinforced.
If real and lasting changes are to be made, it is vital that the Church improves the way it responds to allegations by victims and survivors, and provides adequate support to those victims over time, ”said the chair of the investigation. , Alexis Jay, in the statement.
The report is based on the IICSA public hearings, held during July 2019, and refers to the extent to which the Church of England and the Church of Wales protected children from sexual abuse in the past.
The Church of England tweeted on Tuesday that it would release a statement later.
Sexual abuse in the Church
