LONDON – More than 50 Roman Catholic priests in England and Wales have been defrocked for sex abuse
since 2001, the Church’s child protection watchdog revealed on Thursday.
Some 52 priests have been laicized, or stripped of their ministry, the National Catholic Safeguarding
Commission (NCSC) said, following the implementation of new procedures to protect children and
vulnerable adults.
Between 2003 and 2013, 598 abuse allegations against the clergy were reported by dioceses and religious
congregations in England and Wales, of which 77 percent were related to sexual abuse, said the NCSC, an
independent body that works within the Church framework.
Officials accept that a reluctance to come forward may mean many more cases have gone unreported.
“Since 2002, we have automatically referred any allegation that comes forward, historic or current, to the
police,” NCSC chairman Danny Sullivan told AFP.
He said if a priest was convicted of abuse, then the local bishop would liaise with the Vatican over
removing the priest from his ministry.
If allegations do not result in a court case for any reason – for example if prosecutors feel the evidence
does not match the high threshold of criminal proof – then under the so-called covenants of care system,
“a priest may be under restricted ministry in quite a strict sense.”
“Church law allows for a lower level of proof. Their level of proof is simply: is there a semblance of truth?”
Sullivan said.
Under covenants of care, priests are “monitored and reviewed”, and may remain under the covenant for
years.
There were 384 covenants of care actively in place by the end of 2013 in England and Wales.
“If anybody comes forward with allegations, whether current allegations, or ones from the past, we will
automatically refer it to the statutory authorities,” Sullivan said.
The NCSC is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the Church’s safeguarding policy for children
and vulnerable adults, and for monitoring compliance.
Majority Protestant Britain had largely escaped the major scandals over abuse in the Catholic Church seen
in neighboring Ireland and in the United States.
However, recent high-profile revelations about long-hidden child sexual abuse, chiefly in the entertainment
industry, has led to national soul-searching and a spike in alleged victims of historic abuse coming
forward.
newsinfo.inquirer.net/623258/more-than-50-uk-catholic-priests-defrocked-for-sex-abuse

Habatically habatical!! .They should allow the perverts to marry instead of starving them for sex under the auspice of priesthood

No mind those people jare, denying themselves natural nd legitimate wonderful experience, it's a pity the instinct will always be there.
Catholic should just review their doctrines coz this very aspect is pure bullshit...

heykims: No mind those people jare, denying themselves natural nd legitimate wonderful experience, it's a pity the instinct will always be there.
Catholic should just review their doctrines coz this very aspect is pure bullshit...

And your married pastors don't abuse children? Why didn't marriage stop them from abusing children. A pedophile is a pedophile whether married or not

Decibel: Habatically habatical!! .They should allow the perverts to marry instead of starving them for sex under the auspice of priesthood

heykims: No mind those people jare, denying themselves natural nd legitimate wonderful experience, it's a pity the instinct will always be there.
Catholic should just review their doctrines coz this very aspect is pure bullshit...

1. Research shows that sex abuse is more rampant outside the Catholic priesthood than within it. Marriage is not the problem.

2. Neither Jesus nor Paul married.

Educate your mind.

italo:

1. Research shows that sex abuse is more rampant outside the Catholic priesthood than within it. Marriage is not the problem.

2. Neither Jesus nor Paul married.

Educate your mind.

Professor of theology and sociology, remember this is 21st Century not 32 BC

Decibel: Professor of theology and sociology, remember this is 21st Century not 32 BC

May the Lord help us understand what you mean.

DeoGratias1: And your married pastors don't abuse children? Why didn't marriage stop them from abusing children. A pedophile is a pedophile whether married or not

But it is also a known fact that sexual abuse is commoner among d sexually deprived, I just hope people start to reason straight. If the whole Christendom now decide to become ''holy'' nd refuse to get married nd procreate, what will become of d religion in decades to come.

heykims:
But it is also a known fact that sexual abuse is commoner among d sexually deprived, I just hope people start to reason straight. If the whole Christendom now decide to become ''holy'' nd refuse to get married nd procreate, what will become of d religion in decades to come.

There's no way the entire christendom will refuse to marry

fact, most people who are sex pervert are those who are not in anyway bound not to get married. Uncles, brothers, cousins, fathers, mothers, daughters, auntys, neighbours etc. And yes, women are also sex offenders.

heykims:
But it is also a known fact that sexual abuse is commoner among d sexually deprived, I just hope people start to reason straight. If the whole Christendom now decide to become ''holy'' nd refuse to get married nd procreate, what will become of d religion in decades to come.

it is not a known FACT. It is a known error/stereotype/prejudice/apocrypha

DeoGratias1: There's way the entire christendom will refuse to marry

Even if there's no way d entire Christiandom will refuse to marry, I'm sure ur doctrine teaches u to believe dt not marrying is d most godly path...
I however pray for u in particular dt u will never be able to procreate. I expect an affirmative ''amen'' from a true follower of Jesus nd Paul as u claim to be.

craziebone:

it is not a known FACT. It is a known error/stereotype/prejudice/apocrypha

It's obvious u re already brainwashed, even when ur Pope was busy sexually assaulting children, I'm sure u saw nothing wrong there too, na ''holy touch''.

heykims:
It's obvious u re already brainwashed, even when ur Pope was busy sexually assaulting children, I'm sure u saw nothing wrong there too, na ''holy touch''.

i'm not even christian! Truth is, most people who molest are those who are close to the victim. These people are bound by no law to be celibate.

heykims:
Even if there's no way d entire Christiandom will refuse to marry, I'm sure ur doctrine teaches u to believe dt not marrying is d most godly path...
I however pray for u in particular dt u will never be able to procreate. I expect an affirmative ''amen'' from a true follower of Jesus nd Paul as u claim to be.

I will pretend I didn't see this. Be careful

DeoGratias1: And your married pastors don't abuse children? Why didn't marriage stop them from abusing children. A pedophile is a pedophile whether married or not

These are not ordinary p)edophiles. They are same sex p)edophiles. Most of the victims are little boys. It's difficult to speculate whether they are homosexuals who have been pressured by celibacy to abuse boys, or if they are regular p)edophiles who have been separated from their target prey of choice: little girls. It's possible that the church doctrine on clerical celibacy is the primary cause of these abuses.

heykims:
Even if there's no way d entire Christiandom will refuse to marry, I'm sure ur doctrine teaches u to believe dt not marrying is d most godly path...
I however pray for u in particular dt u will never be able to procreate. I expect an affirmative ''amen'' from a true follower of Jesus nd Paul as u claim to be.

This is very wrong, why would you even wish another that? It is quite un-christian.

Anyway, I am Catholic and am yet to see where the mother church teaches that "not being married is the most Godly path" rather she teaches that celibacy is a Godly act. Maybe you should prove me wrong.

However I know that the bible teaches that being unmarried is better than being married.

So the man who marries does well, but the one who doesn't marry does even better 1 Cor 7:38.

So I think it's not just what the church teaches but also the Bible.