London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 18, 2026

Church of England abuse cases run to hundreds - report

Church of England abuse cases run to hundreds - report

The Church of England has found hundreds of new cases involving allegations of abuse of vulnerable adults and children by clergy, Church officers and volunteers.

The reviewers found 383 cases relating to abuse, that the Church says require further attention.

The Church says this is its most extensive review of past abuse cases.

The archbishops of Canterbury and York apologised and expressed "profound shame" at the findings.

The new report came about after criticism of the previous Past Cases Review, published in 2010, which said the Church had found only 13 new cases requiring further action.

The updated version, published on Wednesday, is highly critical of a culture within the Church that is portrayed as still not adequately dealing with abuse.

"The Church is still at risk of failing others in the future unless there are further significant changes of culture and attitude as well as adherence to more detailed and effective safeguarding practices," it says.

Of the 383 new cases, 168 relate to children and 149 to vulnerable adults.

The rest either involve both or have insufficient data.


'Feel betrayed'


Louise, not her real name, who says she was abused as a child by a clergyman, told BBC News she had asked to participate in the review but been ignored.

"I feel betrayed and angry because the report states survivors have been included when I haven't," she said.

"I was told my case was in the 'cause for concern' category - but I can't see anything about how those cases will be followed up, including mine.

"I don't even know whether I'm in the 383.

"Survivors were told we would be warned when the report comes out but we heard nothing."


Damning parts


The alleged perpetrators, who are still alive, include 242 clergy, 53 Church officers and 41 volunteers whose role included engagement with children.

Many no longer hold positions in the Church - but in some cases, their identity was not recorded.

The cases range from errors in information sharing to those that should have been referred to the police.

But the report does not include details of the seriousness of the abuse.

Some of the most damning parts detail issues surrounding the culture within the Church of England relating to abuse.

The reviewers mention victim-blaming, deference to those in power, inertia and inaction in dealing with allegations of abuse.


Existing processes


The Church accepts much more needs to be done to instil confidence it has processes in place to adequately protect the vulnerable and deal with perpetrators.

And the report lists 26 recommendations, including establishing a charter to ensure the voices of children are heard.

But they do not include any major overhaul of existing processes that are meant to protect children and vulnerable adults from abuse but have often failed to do so.

Two years ago, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse detailed how the Church had failed to protect children from sexual abuse and created a culture where abusers "could hide".

In a joint statement, the archbishops of Canterbury and York said the findings illustrated the failings of the Church's leadership.

"There are no possible excuses, no rationalisations for our Church's failure to share the love of God and value each and every person," a joint statement from the Most Reverend Justin Welby and the Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell said.

"We sincerely apologise for our failures and want to reach out to those who are still suffering from the pain and misery they endured.

"We extend this apology to wider family members affected from this past abuse.

"We are so sorry that this ever happened. It was not your fault and you are not to blame."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
For 36 Years, He Scammed About 300 Luxury Hotels — Until He Was Caught
Britain Nationalises British Steel to Protect Scunthorpe Production and Strategic Supply
Andy Burnham Takes Labour Leadership and Prepares to Become Britain’s Seventh Prime Minister in a Decade
Tech Companies Want to Move Computing Off Your Screen and Onto Your Body
White House Teleprompter Operator Earned More Than $100,000 From Bets Linked to the President's Speeches
French Prime Minister Survives No-Confidence Vote After Controversial Budget Cuts
European Commission Opens Excessive Deficit Procedure Against France
French Senate Blocks Key Immigration Reform Measures
French Government Pushes EU Action Against Ultra-Fast Fashion Imports
French Parliament Debates Expanded Autonomy Powers for Corsica
France Reopens Autonomy Talks With New Caledonia After Months of Unrest
Bordeaux Wine Producers Seek Three Hundred Million Euro Aid Package After Export Collapse
French Farmers Block Spain Border Crossings Over Imported Food Competition
Cannes Film Festival Bans Fully Artificial Intelligence-Generated Films From Competition
TotalEnergies Shifts More Than Three Billion Euros of Green Investment From Europe to the United States
LVMH Chief Executive Bernard Arnault Presents Succession Plan for Luxury Empire
Kering Reports Fifteen Percent Revenue Drop as Chinese Luxury Demand Weakens
Sanofi Reports Positive Results From Messenger RNA Respiratory Vaccine Trials
France Places Energy Price Caps Under Review to Protect Households Through Winter
EDF Connects Two New Nuclear Reactors to France’s Electricity Grid
Mistral Secures European Commission Contract for Sovereign Artificial Intelligence Models
Renault Opens Next-Generation Electric Battery Plant in Northern France
Air France Signs Two Billion Euro Sustainable Aviation Fuel Deal to Cut Emissions
Marseille Launches Three Billion Euro Port Expansion to Strengthen Mediterranean Trade Role
French-Owned Ubisoft Announces Global Restructuring With Nearly One Thousand Job Cuts
National Railway Operator Suspends Artificial Intelligence Ticket Pricing System After Consumer Backlash
United Kingdom to Ban Sales of High-Caffeine Energy Drinks to Under-Sixteens
Home Office Designates Iranian and Russian Paramilitary Groups as National Security Threats
National Health Service Launches Housing Plan to Retain London Healthcare Workers
British Heatwave Fuels Wildfires and Emergency Evacuations in Scotland
United Kingdom and Estonia Sign Defence Agreement to Strengthen NATO’s Eastern Flank
United Kingdom Cuts Bilateral Aid to African Nations by More Than Eighty Percent
Bank of England Overhauls Banking Rules to Encourage More Lending to Businesses
United Kingdom and India Free Trade Agreement Enters Into Force, Reshaping Bilateral Economic Ties
Andy Burnham Confirmed as New Labour Leader and Prime Minister-Designate
UK Government Faces Pressure Over Extreme Heat Workplace Rules
Lewisham Council Blocks Cooperation With Home Office Immigration Enforcement
UK Parliament Investigates Growing Pressures on Scotch Whisky Industry
Teen Hackers Sentenced Over Thirty-Nine Million Pound Transport for London Cyber Attack
Ministry of Defence Acquires Scottish Fuel Terminal to Strengthen Royal Navy Operations
Bank of England Eases Rules as Economic Growth Remains Weak
Bank of England Governor Warns Andy Burnham on Britain’s Long Economic Stagnation
UK Defence Ministry Buys Scottish Fuel Terminal to Secure Naval Energy Supplies
UK Secures Access to European Defence Contracts Through Ukraine Support Deal
Bank of England Plans Easier Capital Rules to Encourage More Lending
Met Office Says England and Wales Have Already Broken Summer Heat Records
Counter-Terrorism Police Lead Investigation Into Murder of Former Minister Ann Widdecombe
UK Government Nationalises British Steel to Protect Domestic Steel Production
French National Assembly Overrides Senate to Pass Historic Assisted-Dying Legislation
Spanish Prime Minister's Wife Ordered to Stand Trial as Corruption Probes Encircle Governing Party
×