BYM welcomes child protection report
‘All faith bodies, including Quakers, need to examine the organisational and cultural barriers which put children at risk of abuse.’
Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) has welcomed recommendations set out in a major report into child protection in religious organisations and settings.
The report examined evidence from thirty-eight religious organisations in England and Wales. Paul Parker, recording clerk of BYM, who contributed to the inquiry, said that the report ‘makes recommendations for improving safeguarding across religious organisations and settings. We look forward to considering the details and any implications for Quaker communities’.
‘All faith bodies, including Quakers, need to examine the organisational and cultural barriers which put children at risk of abuse.’
He added: ‘The Inquiry’s findings are fair, clear and helpful. The Inquiry has prompted Quakers to make improvements, such as creating a new national case management database. Quakers in Britain now work much more closely with local Quaker groups to record and share information appropriately.’
The report revealed that child sexual abuse has been found in ‘most major UK religions’.
The inquiry said that throughout the investigation it heard of ‘shocking failings across a number of religious organisations, and cases of child sexual abuse perpetrated by their followers’.
The report found that organisational and cultural barriers to reporting child sexual abuse within religious settings are ‘numerous, varied and difficult to overcome’. These include ‘victim-blaming, an absence of discussion around sex and sexuality, and discouraging external reporting, thus prioritising the organisation’s reputation above the needs of victims’.
The ‘Child Protection in Religious Organisations and Settings’ report was published on 2 September by The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).
Paul Parker said that Quakers are committed to making sure everyone is safe in the Quaker community. He contributed to the inquiry, providing written witness statements in 2019. The public hearings were delayed due to the pandemic, but concluded in August 2020.
