Child abuse in Sussex: new laws 'essential' after decades of Church scandals

By Michael Drummond
Published 18th Feb 2019, 10:52 BST
Updated 18th Feb 2019, 11:59 BST
The Church in Sussex has been wracked by child abuse allegations over the yearsThe Church in Sussex has been wracked by child abuse allegations over the years
The Church in Sussex has been wracked by child abuse allegations over the years
Decades of child abuse and cover-ups in Sussex mean that tough new controls must be enforced to keep children safe, a top abuse lawyer has said.

The Church of England has been the centre of countless high profile scandals across the country and is currently subject of a national inquiry.

The Diocese of Chichester – which covers the whole of East and West Sussex – is being used as a case study.

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Richard Scorer, who represents many abuse survivors at the inquiry, said the Church faces a ‘damning’ report on its failures.

Richard Scorer represents many survivors of clerical abuse in Sussex at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). Picture: IICSARichard Scorer represents many survivors of clerical abuse in Sussex at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). Picture: IICSA
Richard Scorer represents many survivors of clerical abuse in Sussex at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). Picture: IICSA

He said: “Every diocese in the country has abuses of the kind that were there in the Diocese of Chichester.

“I think that the report will certainly be damning about safeguarding failures.”

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