Archbishop of York Orders Files to be Examined on Members of Deceased Clergy as Part of Child Abuse Investigation
- Dr John Sentamu has ordered the investigation of files which date back more than 60 years
- Diocese decided 'it is important to review these files as well' after being left out of 2008 review
- Said if church has 'failed to protect' children they must 'offer full apology'
By
Daily Mail UK
The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, has ordered the investigation of files belonging to deceased clergy members as part of an investigation into child sex abuse within the church
The Diocese of York will open files on deceased members of its clergy in a bid to address alleged cases of child abuse.
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu,has ordered that files dating back more than 60 years be scrutinised and examined by an independent reviewer as part of an investigation into clerical sex abuse.
Dr Sentamu told the BBC:
'The damage done by the sexual abuse of children is immense and the passage of time does not in itself bring healing'.
'Where young people are shown to have been betrayed by individuals in a position of trust and by the institution's failure to protect them, it is for the church to acknowledge the hurt which has been done.'
Dr Sentamu said it is the church's responsibility to ensure that 'policies and practices are improved such that the same systematic failure could never be repeated.'
In July the General Synod formally apologised for sexual abuse within the Church of England.
In a joint statement read before the governing body, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Dr Sentamu described the church's 'deep grief and shame' over clerical sex abuse.
In July the Church of England took a historical vote to formally apologise for past clerical sex abuse. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York spoke of the institutions 'deep grief and shame' over the clergy's history with sex abuse allegations.
The historical apology prompted a series of changes designed to tighten up child protection procedures and prevent further scandal.
The church has carried out a number of inquiries, including a 2008 review of files to assess the handling of any past concerns about child protection.
The review did not however include investigation into deceased members of the clergy.