Spiritual abuse

The Church of England – a safer space for abusers than for the abused

October 7, 2020
Martin Sewell
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The long awaited IICSA report into 70 years of sexual abuse, cover-up and neglect of victims in the Church of England has finally been published. It has been followed by a great deal of media scrutiny and survivor commentary. We…

Lead Safeguarding Bishop to critics: “You don’t understand”

August 17, 2020
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Considering the experiences they have been through, and the historically indifferent responses of the Church of England to their suffering, many of those who survived sexual abuse are surprisingly positive…

Safeguarding: the Church of England’s house is slowly being rebuilt

February 11, 2020
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On 25th November 2015 the newly elected General Synod of the Church of England gathered to worship together with HM The Queen before she inaugurated the first sitting of its…

Jonathan Fletcher presents the Church of England with a crisis of integrity

January 2, 2020
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On Boxing Day the nation was entertained on a bi-partisan basis by the tragi-comic story of Jolyon Maugham QC and his vulpine intruder. It will take some of us a…

There is no such thing as ‘spiritual abuse’

July 4, 2019
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Another abuse scandal has broken out in the the Church of England, and it is once again facing the responsibility as to how best to respond. Most sexual abuse is…

Rev Jonathan Fletcher Emmanuel Church Wimbledon

Rev’d Jonathan Fletcher: CofE and GAFCON co-operate to manage risk to the vulnerable

June 28, 2019
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The weeks leading up to General Synod were never going to be a happy time for the Church of England. Anyone in touch with the survivors of Anglican abuse across…

Emotional abuse in the Church: Bishops need psychological help

March 8, 2019
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There is a Jewish proverb that a good name is worth more than precious stones. In this reflective and penitential season of Lent, members of the Church of England House…

Jayne Ozanne Bishop Liverpool Paul Bayes conversion therapy

Faith, sexuality and conversion therapy: how not to do research

February 23, 2019
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This is a guest post by Dr Judith Sture. _______ We can only applaud those who wish to carry out research to help improve the lives of others. But the…

Iwerne David Conner Dean Windsor John Smyth

Iwerne: what did David Conner (now Dean of Windsor) and others know about John Smyth’s regime of abuse?

November 6, 2018
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Many years ago, I worked as a duty solicitor, undertaking day and night visits to the local police stations. There were not many on the rota and it was a…

John Smyth dies – just as the CPS gives police go-ahead for his extradition and prosecution

August 12, 2018
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John Smyth, who was accused of the sadistic beatings of young men under the guise of Christian discipleship, has died at his home in Cape Town. This brings to an…

Recognising ‘spiritual abuse’ is a dangerous hostage to fortune

March 12, 2018
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An Abingdon vicar has been banned from ministry for two years after being found guilty of the spiritual abuse of a 15/16-year-old boy. The Bishop's Disciplinary Tribunal for the Diocese…