Nikita McNeill is first junior counsel to the Anglican Church Investigation for The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), which published its report last week into the case studies of the Diocese of Chichester and Peter Ball which were heard last year.
The Diocese of Chichester has seen more members of clergy convicted of child sexual abuse than any other dioceses in the Church of England. IICSA found that the diocese allowed known perpetrators to have unrestricted access to children and placed its own reputation above the needs of victims of abuse.
Peter Ball was the former Bishop of Gloucester, and was convicted in 2015 for offences which included indecent assault and misconduct in a public office. IICSA’s report said Ball “was able to sexually abuse vulnerable teenagers and young men for decades”. It criticised Lord Carey of Clifton for his management of the church response to allegations against Peter Ball, a response which displayed “moral cowardice”. The actions of the Prince of Wales were considered “ misguided” and with “the potential to influence the actions of the church”.
The report states that the Church of England should have been a place which protected all children and supported victims and survivors and the inquiry’s summary recognises that it failed to do this.
To read about the case in the international press, please follow the links below.
The Times | New York Times | The Guardian | Telegraph | Independent | BBC News
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