Shocking report finds that the Church of England ‘colluded’ to cover up sexual abuse
By Joshua Haigh
Senior figures in the Church of England made efforts to cover up the sexual abuse of young boys, a report has found.
The damning report, titled Abuse of Faith, found that senior figures had “little care” for the victims of Peter Ball, who was jailed in October 2015 for the abuse of boys and young men in the 70s, 80s and 90s.
“The Church colluded with, rather than seeking to help those he had harmed, or assuring itself of the safety of others,” said report author, Dame Moira Gibb.
In response to the shocking findings, Archbishop Justin Welby has insisted that the church must “learn lessons” from their mistakes.
“This is inexcusable and shocking behaviour and although Dame Moira notes that most of the events took place many years ago, and does not think that the Church now would conduct itself in the ways described we can never be complacent, we must learn lessons.”
“To the survivors who were brave enough to share their story and bring Peter Ball to justice, I once again offer an unreserved apology. There are no excuses whatsoever for what took place and the systemic abuse of trust perpetrated by Peter Ball over decades.”
Even more shockingly, former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey denied just last year that there was any form of cover-up in the 90s.