SHAFAQNA- The Church of England failed to protect children from sexual abuse, an inquiry has said. The publication on Tuesday of the government-commissioned Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) detailed how a blind eye was turned to rapists and abusers within the church, and prompted an apology from it.
The IICSA blamed a decades-long culture of secrecy and silence that exacerbated victims’ suffering. Professor Alexis Jay, Chair of the inquiry, said the church over many decades facilitated “a culture where perpetrators could hide and victims faced barriers to disclosure that many could not overcome”, AlJazeera reported.