Tim Welby, son of the recently resigned Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, has defended his father’s decision to step down amid mounting scrutiny over the Church of England’s handling of abuse cases. The resignation has intensified demands for Stephen Cottrell, the archbishop of York, to follow suit due to his alleged neglect of multiple safeguarding Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Clergy sexual abuse’
High Court limits Catholic Church’s liability in abuse cases
Thursday, November 14th, 2024
In a landmark decision, Australia’s High Court has ruled that the Catholic Church is not vicariously liable for child abuse committed by priests not directly employed by the institution. This ruling overturns a 2023 Victorian court decision that held the church responsible for the abuse of a five-year-old by assistant priest Father Bryan Coffey. The Read more
Ex-Bishop of Broome pleads not guilty to sex abuse charges
Thursday, October 3rd, 2024
The former Bishop of Broome, Christopher Saunders, appeared in an Australian court on Monday. He pleaded not guilty to 28 criminal charges, including two counts of rape and 14 counts of unlawful and indecent assault. Saunders, 74, denied all charges that initially surfaced in 2020 and allegedly occurred between 2008 and 2016. Church officials launched Read more
Belgian bishop quits abuse crisis role – workload overwhelming
Monday, July 29th, 2024
Belgian bishop Johan Bonny, the country’s main contact for Church abuse victims, has stepped down from his role, citing an overwhelming workload and health concerns. Bonny’s resignation comes weeks before Pope Francis’ visit to Belgium, potentially overshadowing the event with the ongoing abuse crisis. Bishop Bonny, 69, announced his resignation on 25 July, stating that Read more
US church needs culturally sensitive safeguarding training
Monday, June 24th, 2024The diversity of the Catholic Church in the United States requires that it develop a culturally sensitive approach to preventing abuse, a safeguarding expert said. Although the US church, like the church in Europe, has structures in place to promote safeguarding to a higher degree than churches with less resources, “there are cultural aspects that Read more
Vatican investigation clears Quebec cardinal of misconduct
Thursday, May 23rd, 2024An investigation commissioned by the Vatican has concluded a senior leader of Quebec’s Roman Catholic Church did not commit sexual misconduct. The allegations against Cardinal Gérald Lacroix, the archbishop of Quebec City, emerged in January when he was named as an alleged perpetrator in a class-action lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by clergy and staff. The Read more
In support of victims of clergy abuse
Monday, May 13th, 2024
Isabelle Chartier-Siben, a respected physician and victimologist, has shared insights into supporting survivors of abuse, notably within religious communities. As president of the association ‘C’est à dire’ (‘That is to say’), Chartier-Siben (pictured) has dedicated some thirty years to aiding individuals navigating the aftermath of abuse. In a recent interview with the French publication La Read more
Father Marko Rupnik’s art cannot be separated from abuse claims
Monday, May 6th, 2024For the rector of the world’s second-largest church after St Peter’s Basilica, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil, May 11 will be a day of celebrating the inauguration of the southern facade’s mosaics, all created by Fr Marko Rupnik. But alleged victims of the disgraced former Jesuit and many faithful are not Read more
Former Australian Bishop faces two new indecent assault charges
Monday, April 22nd, 2024
Former Bishop of Broome Christopher Saunders, 74, is facing two fresh charges of indecent assault relating to incidents that allegedly happened eight years ago. These new charges add to his existing legal battle comprising 26 charges, including sexual penetration without consent, indecent dealing with a child, and unlawful and indecent assault. WA Police confirmed a Read more
Priest sues diocese over “false” sexual abuse allegations
Monday, March 18th, 2024
A priest in Indiana, USA, is suing his diocese for fraud and defamation after he was suspended over what the clergyman claims were false sexual abuse allegations. Fr James DeOreo claims the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana violated diocesan policy and committed both fraud and defamation when it said, in March 2022, that he had been accused Read more