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News...
This page is for us to bring you any news or developments within our churches. If you have news of clergy or minister abusers, or of what churches or advocacy groups are doing, please let us know - keeping informed is half the battle.
Latest...
November 2011
Roman Catholic Bishops Held to be Responsible for Actions of PriestsMACSAS welcomes the High Court ruling that Diocesan Bishops are responsible for the actions of the priests they appoint to work in the Diocese, in a claim for damages arising from child abuse perpetrated by a priest within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth.
Read our Press Release on Roman Catholic Bishops Held to be Responsible for Actions of Priests [PDF]
October 2011
MACSAS and the Lantern Project end 'exploratory talks' with Catholic Church
MACSAS has ended 'exploratory talks' with the Catholic church convened last July to discuss how the Church could respond to the victims of abuse perpetrated by clergy and others in pastoral roles within the Catholic Church.
In a press release issued on 11 October 2011 MACSAS set out the reasons for ending the talks after more than a year of endeavouring to have the voices and needs of thousands of victims of rape, torture and other abuses, perpetrated within the Catholic church, heard and acknowledged. The Catholic Church is still not ready to accept responsibility for the actions of its clergy and members of religious congregations who raped and abused thousands of children in this country over the past 50 years. Victims have been reporting this abuse to Church authorities for decades and have yet to receive any compassionate or appropriate response.
This failure to hear, to respond and to accept responsibility is a scandal to the Christianity.
No Bishop attended the 'exploratory talks' and the Archbishop of Westminster refused to have any discussions with any survivor organisations even when it became obvious that the people appointed by the Church to engage in these talks, lacked the skills and authority necessary to engage in any meaningful discussion with those who represented victims of appalling crimes committed within the Catholic Church.
The Lantern Project, who works with survivors of abuse, including those abused by clergy, has also left the talks because the actions of Bishops in England and Wales are incompatible with any public apologies made by the conference of Bishops for the abuse perpetrated against children in this country by clergy. In fact, as can be seen in their press release, Bishops have continued to argue in the courts that the Church has no responsibility for the actions of its clergy or members of religious orders (most recently the Portsmouth and the St Williams cases both of which are awaiting decisions from the courts).
MACSAS has stated throughout that we are open to any processes aimed at providing justice and redress for victims and reconciliation between the Church and those so terribly harmed, where appropriate. The Church in England and Wales does not yet understand the need for these processes and yet over 300 cases are in the civil courts and dozens of cases are currently in the Criminal courts.
All documents presented by MACSAS to the 'talks' are available below:
> Read MACSAS end 'exploratory talks' with the Catholic Church press release [PDF]
> Read The Lantern Project leaves Catholic Talks following Archbishops's refusal to meet with founder press release [PDF]
> Read Letter from MACSAS to NCSC talks [PDF]
> Read the MACSAS draft of the Catholic Church Complaints Procedure [PDF]
> Read the MACSAS submissions for NCSC/CSAS Joint Presentation [PDF]
September 2011
Concerns Grow over the Church of England Diocese of Chichester InquiryThe original report into the handling of the Cotton and Pritchard cases by Roger Meekings was supposed to be made public in May 2011 with the Butler-Sloss report. However, following a failure to redact the victims' names, it was taken down from the Diocesan website two hours after it was made public and has not been seen since.
MACSAS has obtained a copy of the Meekings report released by the Diocese in May 2011 and publish it here, with the victims' names redacted. The report reveals very distrubing evidence of decisions being made at the very highest level of the Church of England to allow a convicted child sex offender to be ordained, and of decisions made at Diocesan level to allow Roy Cotton unrestricted access to children. It also reveals clear discrepancies in accounts given to Meeekings and Butler-Sloss.
There are now growing demands from survivors and others within the Diocese of Chichester for a full and public inquiry to be undertaken into the handling of these cases.
Read the Meekings report [PDF]
View our press release and press links below, under March 2011 News.
July 2011
Cloyne reportLessons for the Catholic Church in England & Wales
published 13 July 2011
The ‘damning’ report into the handling of child sexual abuse allegations by senior Church officials within the Diocese of Cloyne, Ireland highlights areas of concern that also apply to the Catholic Church here in England & Wales.
Read our press release on the Cloyne report
Church of England Pastoral Response - a beginning
published 11 July 2011
Our response to the Church of England's publication of Responding Well to those who have been sexually abused
Read our press release on the Church of England's response
to victims [PDF]
May 2011:
The Stones Cry Out: the response of churches in the UK to victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by Clergy, Religious and other Church Officials.A report on the MACSAS survey 2010. Responses from
Church leadership and communities to the reporting or disclosing of clergy sexual abuse by survivors.
The findings are shocking. The report shows damning evidence of responses completely at odds with stated progress in child protection and pastoral care in most denominations.
The research discloses new issues not yet confronted by Church Leaders and Hierarchies.
Press enquiries: Anne Lawrence on 07939 574368
Read our Press Release on the launch of the MACSAS report [PDF]
Read the Executive Summary of The Stones Cry Out [PDF]
Read the full report of The Stones Cry Out [PDF]
Read our recommendations following the survey results [PDF]
View a BBC report on Church of England safeguarding failings
The Church of England Safeguarding teams in all Dioceses have asked MACSAS to say that any of the victims who took part in the Survey can contact them for support and assistance even if there is a court case, or if the perpetrator is dead. This also extends to any other vicitms of abuse perpetrated by clergy and other church officials no mater how long ago.
March 2011:
Church of England Diocese of Chichester InquiryDiocese of Chichester holds an inquiry into the handling of child sex abuse allegations: two victims win an unprecedented apology from the Bishop of Chichester - Bishop Hind.
MACSAS Press release on the publication of the Diocese of Chichester Inquiry Report [PDF]
MACSAS joins victims of clergy perpetrated child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Chichester to call for a change to current safeguarding procedures
to protect children and to ensure effective actions are taken against child sex offenders.
View a BBC report on Church of England safeguarding failings
View more BBC coverage on www.shamefultruth.com
View the BBC report covering the apology by the Bishop of Chichester
View the letter of apology from the Bishop of Chichester [JPEG]
View 'Church says sorry for priest abuse' published in the Brighton Argus [JPEG]
September 2010:
Pope Benedict's State Visit to BritainPress coverage of our contribution to the Pope's visit:
View Paedophile priests remain part of church on www.guardian.co.uk
View Pope faces protests and apathy on visit to Britain on www.guardian.co.uk
View Abuse survivors demand justice on www.guardian.co.uk
View a short film: Child abuse survivors campaign for justice on www.guardian.co.uk
Many people are asking about the book of survivors stories which was made during the Pope's visit last September. Macsas is still hoping to get the book to Rome and deliver it to the Pope himself.
MACSAS conference: We speak, you listen. 11th September 2010, London.
Survivors speak and offer messages to Pope Benedict - their stories, hopes and dreams will be compiled and made into a book for presentation to his Holiness.
Read the full Press Release [PDF]
March 2010:
MACSAS calls on the Pope to accept responsibility20th March 2010. MACSAS calls upon the Pope to accept responsibility and acknowledgement of harm caused to all survivors by the cover up of child abuse by priests.
Read MACSAS's full statement [PDF]
Read Margaret Kennedy's response to Pope Benedict’s pastoral letter [PDF]
MACSAS comments on the Church of England’s survey
2nd March 2010. MACSAS comments on the Church of England’s completed independent child protection survey across dioceses and calls for an open and transparent inquiry into Child Abuse within the Church of England.
Read our Press Release on the Church of England's survey [PDF]
MACSAS calls for full publication of the Church of England’s past cases review of all reports of child abuse by clergy in all Dioceses in England & Wales in 2008 – 2009.
Read our Press Release calling for full publication of CoE past cases [PDF]
Events
MACSAS will be represented at the exhibition by male survivors Julian Whiting and Noel Chardon.
> Read Exeter Christian Resources Exhibition press release [PDF]
> Visit the Christian Resources Exhibition website
MACSAS contact: Julian Whiting.
T: 0789 972 3620. E: jgwhiting@yahoo.co.uk
Service of
Remembrance and Proclamation
This Service took place on Saturday 26th November 2011, at St Giles-in-the-Fields, for Margaret Kennedy and all women and men sexually exploited/abused by clergy as adults or children.
Margaret Kennedy requested that the service take place to honour her and all clergy sexual abuse survivors of all Christian denominations abused as adults. The liturgy was written and compiled by her.
> Service sheet for Margaret Kennedy's Service of Remembrance and Proclamation [PDF]
> Venerable Dr William Jacob's acknowlegement at the Service of Remembrance and Proclamation [PDF]
> Margaret Kennedy's speech at the Service of Remembrance and Proclamation [PDF]
> What is justice by Anne Lawrence [PDF]
> Thanksgiving prayer [PDF]
Publications
The Stones Cry Out:
the response of churches in the UK to victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by Clergy, Religious and other Church Officials.
Read the full report of The Stones Cry Out [PDF]
Corrections to The Stones Cry Out [Word doc] (now incorporated into final report)
MACSAS Newsletter: OUT LOUD
Read the Spring 2010 issue of OUT LOUD [PDF]
Read our Summer 2009 Newsletter [PDF]
Breaking the Silence
Martin Ridge and Gerard Cunningham, April 2008. Gill & Macmillan
Martin Ridge was approaching retirement after a long career with An Garda Síochána. Posted to a quiet corner of Co. Donegal, he found himself investigating one of the most horrific series of child sex abuse cases in Ireland.
The Greene and McGinley cases both involved the Catholic Church. Greene was a priest, and McGinley a teacher in a Catholic school answerable to religious managers. As Ridge investigated, he discovered that the Church knew about the abuse, but ignored the problem. Breaking the Silence is a brilliantly written account of the Garda investigation that brought two serial and unrepentant abusers to justice.
Visit Gillmacmillan for more on Breaking the Silence
Anglican Church
Promoting a safe church: Policy for safeguarding adults in the Church of England. Published in 2006.
“Promoting a safe church” can be obtained from chpublishing
DVD on Child Safety
This is a training video. For information contact: Dean Juster, The Salvation army, 101 Newingington Causeway, London SE1 6BN.
More news...
MACSAS Survey 2011 - following the success of the MACSAS Survey 2010, we have decided to leave a form on our website for victims/survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated within Christian Churches in the UK to complete.
We will produce a yearly report on the findings of forms received.
MACSAS survey 2011 form [Word doc]
MACSAS Conference 2009 - Augustine United Church, Edinburgh
Our conference, on 17th October, was a unique opportunity for survivors and professionals to network from across the globe.
Read more about keynote speaches at the MACSAS 2009 Conference on our Resources page
Clergy sexual misconduct study - USA
A new study, conducted by Baylor University, USA, reveals that one in every 33 women who attend worship services regularly has been the target of sexual advances by a religious leader. The study found approximately one in 10 male and female respondents reported having known about clergy sexual misconduct occurring in a congregation they had attended, and that this problem is spread across a wide variety of denominations, traditions, and leaders.
View the Baylor Universitey study on clergy sexual misconduct on www.baylor.edu
View NOW's resolution to criminalise sexual exploitation of women by clergy on www.now.org
“Quote”
"Christian women are 7 times more likely to seek assistance with marriage and family problems from clergy (86%) than mental health professionals (12.5%)"
Gengler and Lee, 2001, p44
From Margaret Kennedy's PhD on The sexual Exploitation of Women by Clergy.
