Church of England must repent, leading cleric says at Christmas
London, UK Reuters The Church of England’s second most senior cleric Stephen Cottrell will call in a Christmas sermon on Wednesday for repentance and change within an institution reeling from child abuse cover-up scandals. This year’s festivities have been overshadowed by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s resignation over a cover-up and accusations of further […]
Native Americans laud Biden for historic apology over boarding schools. They want action to follow
Laveen Village, Arizona, US AP President Joe Biden did something Friday that no other sitting US president has: He apologised for the systemic abuse of generations of Indigenous children endured in boarding schools at the hands of the federal government. For 150 years the US removed Indigenous children from their homes and sent them away to […]
Bolivia investigates three priests for child abuse cover-up
La Paz, Bolivia Reuters Bolivia’s top prosecutor’s office said on Thursday it is launching an investigation against three Jesuit priests accused of covering up child abuse in the city of La Paz, the latest development in a string of pedophilia scandals that have shaken the South American country. The investigation is targeting priests who may […]
New Zealand to apologise after inquiry finds 200,000 children and vulnerable adults abused in care
Wellington, New Zealand Reuters New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon expressed regret on Wednesday after a public inquiry found some 200,000 children, young people and vulnerable adults were abused in state and religious care over the last 70 years. Nearly one in three children and vulnerable adults in care from 1950 to 2019 experienced some […]
Sri Lanka passes new law to regulate online content
Colombo, Sri Lanka Reuters Sri Lanka’s lawmakers on Wednesday passed a bill to regulate online content, the speaker of the parliament announced, a law which opposition politicians and activists allege will muzzle free speech. The Online Safety Bill proposes jail terms for content that a five-member commission considers illegal and making social media platforms such […]
Tech bosses could face jail after UK Government backs down over online harm
London, UK Reuters Tech bosses could be jailed in Britain if their platforms fail to protect children from online harm after the government agreed to toughen a proposed law to avoid the prospect of a first parliamentary defeat for the Prime Minister. Rishi Sunak faced losing a vote in the House of Commons on Tuesday […]
Vatican’s anti-child abuse panel to issue first full report in 2024
Vatican CityReuters The Vatican panel due to produce annual reports on child abuse prevention within the Catholic Church will not deliver its first full review until 2024, its secretary said on Friday. In April, after a wider constitutional overhaul of Vatican structures, Pope Francis gave the Pontifical Council for the Protection of Minors a mandate […]
New Zealand child abuse survivors call for intervention from Pope Francis
Sydney, Australia Reuters A New Zealand group representing survivors of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church has called on Pope Francis to intervene in the redress process, claiming that church authorities were mishandling it and retraumatising victims. In a letter sent to the Vatican and seen by Reuters, the New Zealand chapter of Survivors […]
Northern Ireland child abuse victims get formal government apology
London, UK AP The Northern Ireland Government issued a formal apology on Friday to people who were abused in orphanages and children’s homes, telling them that “the state let you down.” Ministers from all five political parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly read out apologies to survivors gathered at the Stormont government buildings near Belfast. […]
EU plans law requiring tech firms to do more to combat child abuse
Frankfurt, Germany Reuters The European Union plans to legislate in the coming months to require technology companies to do more to tackle child sexual abuse, beefing up current voluntary arrangements, a top official said in a newspaper interview. European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson gives a news conference following the EU High-level Forum on […]