Birmingham Archdiocese 'ignored abuse to protect reputation'
Children could have been saved from abuse if the Church had focused less on its reputation, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has said.
More than 130 allegations of abuse were made against 78 individuals associated with Birmingham's Catholic Church.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols - the city's archbishop between 2000 and 2009 - was accused of focusing on reputation rather than the impact of abuse.
He denied a cover-up, but allegations were found to have been "ignored".
"I am truly shocked by the scale of sexual abuse within the Archdiocese of Birmingham," the inquiry's chair, Professor Alexis Jay, said.
The report concluded that "children could have been saved from abuse if the Church had not been so determined to protect its reputation".
Father John Tolkien - son of novelist JRR Tolkien - was said to have admitted abusing boys in Sparkhill, Birmingham, in the 1950s.
The archdiocese was apparently aware of the alleged abuse but did not report it until decades later.
The report found that the church "was aware of the risk Father Tolkien posed to children and yet the archdiocese took little or no steps to protect children from those risks".
Former boy scout Christopher Carrie, from Solihull, was given £15,000 in compensation in 2003 after he sued the archdiocese.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bi...m-48703484
Children could have been saved from abuse if the Church had focused less on its reputation, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has said.
More than 130 allegations of abuse were made against 78 individuals associated with Birmingham's Catholic Church.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols - the city's archbishop between 2000 and 2009 - was accused of focusing on reputation rather than the impact of abuse.
He denied a cover-up, but allegations were found to have been "ignored".
"I am truly shocked by the scale of sexual abuse within the Archdiocese of Birmingham," the inquiry's chair, Professor Alexis Jay, said.
The report concluded that "children could have been saved from abuse if the Church had not been so determined to protect its reputation".
Father John Tolkien - son of novelist JRR Tolkien - was said to have admitted abusing boys in Sparkhill, Birmingham, in the 1950s.
The archdiocese was apparently aware of the alleged abuse but did not report it until decades later.
The report found that the church "was aware of the risk Father Tolkien posed to children and yet the archdiocese took little or no steps to protect children from those risks".
Former boy scout Christopher Carrie, from Solihull, was given £15,000 in compensation in 2003 after he sued the archdiocese.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bi...m-48703484
The meek shall inherit the Earth, the rest of us will fly to the stars.
Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups
Arguing with an engineer is like wrestling with a pig in mud ..... after a while you realise that the pig likes it!
Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups
Arguing with an engineer is like wrestling with a pig in mud ..... after a while you realise that the pig likes it!