Bishop Richard statement on IICSA II

Published on: 6th October 2020

IICSA Logo

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, IICSA, published its overarching investigation report into the Church of England (and Church in Wales) on Tuesday 6th October 2020.

Read the open letter from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the lead safeguarding bishop and the national director of safeguarding.

Following publication of the IICSA II report, Rt Revd Richard Jackson, Bishop of Hereford said:

“I am deeply sorry that today, once again survivors are painfully reminded of the abuse they have suffered. I continue to pray for all those affected or involved in the publication of today’s IICSA II report – Abuse in any form is not acceptable and we are ashamed of our failings in the past and we apologise unreservedly to those affected. In the diocese of Hereford we are committed to best practice in safeguarding but recognise we all need to do more to ensure it is an intrinsic part of the culture of our church.

“I commend the recommendations of this report to all our clergy and volunteers in the churches of Hereford Diocese. We all have a crucial role to play to make sure the Church is a safe place for everyone. We must all be ready and willing to respond with compassion to the needs of survivors, ensuring our systems and processes provide robust, appropriate support and redress.

If you or anyone you know has been affected by abuse in any of our churches, please contact our safeguarding officer. The Church of England provides an independent free support service called Safe Spaces. It is a national support service independently run by Victim Support and provides a confidential, personal and safe space for anyone who has been abused through their relationship with either the Church of England or the Catholic Church of England and Wales. Freephone: 0300 303 1056

Report a safeguarding matter or phone our Safeguarding Officer, Mandy McPhee: 07875 757396 

Powered by Church Edit