Final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse published

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has published the final report of its hearings and investigations today. The report makes twenty recommendations which the Methodist Church will now study in detail.

The Secretary of the Conference, the Revd Dr Jonathan Hustler said: “We are grateful to the Chair and Panel for putting survivors at the forefront of their investigations and recommendations and thank them for their work. The scale of abuse (some of it in religious institutions) uncovered by the Inquiry is both shocking and shameful and we have listened to harrowing stories of where children have been let down.

“We will continue our work to ensure that those connected with the Methodist Church in Great Britain know that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. We have an ongoing process to review and improve our support to victims and survivors, to ensure the safety of all who share in our activities, and to address failures where they have occurred, and we are sorry for where this has not happened in the past. We will now take time to consider the recommendations and see where changes in our processes might be made in light of the report and the Government’s subsequent response.”

Read the IICSA Final Report

The Methodist Church in Britain was asked to take part in the investigation into Child Protection in Religious Organisations and Settings, one of the 15 areas the Inquiry has looked at over the past 7 years. Read our previous statement here

For support or advice about safeguarding issues: safeguarding@methodistchurch.org.uk or see www.methodist.org.uk/safeguarding