A senior Church of England bishop has revealed that the Anglican Communion led by Queen Elizabeth II is facing more than 3,300 sexual abuse allegations before an independent inquiry into child abuse next month, despite fivefold increase in spending on issues relating to such abuse since 2014.
“This will not be an easy couple of years – we will hear deeply painful accounts of abuse, of poor response, of ‘cover-up’. We will … feel a deep sense of shame,” said Bishop of Bath and Wells Peter Hancock and the church’s lead bishop on safeguarding during its General Synod – the church’s legislative body — in London on Saturday.
The church will be the focus of intense scrutiny at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), which starts hearing evidence of abuse cases in March, according to local press reports.
“For too long the church has not responded well to those who allege abuse within our church communities. This…