First Catholic Church of England and Wales safeguarding structure to protect children from Clerical Sexual Abuse: A Commentary on Nolan (2001) till Cumberlege (2007)

Faisal Rashid
Ian Barron, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Jungsun Hyun, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Abstract

The current commentary analyses the Nolan Report (2001) and the Annual Reports (2001-2007) of the Catholic Office for the Protection of Children and vulnerable Adults (COPCA) formed as a result of the Nolan Report (2001). The commentary determines how wilfully the Catholic Church of England and Wales responded to the Nolan recommendations. This paper explores the success of this first child-safeguarding model (2001 - 2007) in relation to the deficiencies and structural modifications suggested by the Cumberlege Commission (2007). In conclusion, the commentary identifies a range of shortcomings and difficulties in the establishment of a uniform and secure child protection mechanism within the Catholic Church of England and Wales.