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'I failed': archbishop agrees he shut out victim, hears inquiry 'I failed': archbishop agrees he shut out victim, hears inquiry
(about 2 hours later)
Cardinal Vincent Nichols is also criticised for delaying church reforms and defending VaticanCardinal Vincent Nichols is also criticised for delaying church reforms and defending Vatican
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the most senior Catholic cleric in England and Wales, has been lambasted at the child sexual abuse inquiry for “shutting out” a complaint from a victim whom one priest privately dismissed as “deeply manipulative”.Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the most senior Catholic cleric in England and Wales, has been lambasted at the child sexual abuse inquiry for “shutting out” a complaint from a victim whom one priest privately dismissed as “deeply manipulative”.
The archbishop of Westminster, 73, faced questions at the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) all day on Wednesday as its lead counsel, Brian Altman QC, also criticised him for delaying church reforms and for defending the Vatican’s refusal to cooperate with investigators.The archbishop of Westminster, 73, faced questions at the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) all day on Wednesday as its lead counsel, Brian Altman QC, also criticised him for delaying church reforms and for defending the Vatican’s refusal to cooperate with investigators.
While publicly declaring that the church was trying to place sexual abuse victims at the centre of its concerns, Nichols was privately refusing to answer a victim’s emails and “shutting out” her complaints, suggested Altman. The cardinal reluctantly agreed, saying: “We are full of contradictions. Yes, I failed.”While publicly declaring that the church was trying to place sexual abuse victims at the centre of its concerns, Nichols was privately refusing to answer a victim’s emails and “shutting out” her complaints, suggested Altman. The cardinal reluctantly agreed, saying: “We are full of contradictions. Yes, I failed.”
The exchanges came at the end of the day when details emerged of a series of emails sent by a woman who had been sexually abused as a teenager by a member of the Servite Order. The exchanges came at the end of the day when details emerged of a series of emails sent by a woman who had been sexually abused as a teenager by a member of the Servite Order. As a loyal supporter of the church she had not pursued a criminal case or asked for compensation but was seeking a response to her complaints, which had been transferred to the Westminster diocese headed by Nichols.
As a loyal supporter of the church, she had not pursued a criminal case or asked for compensation but was seeking a response to her complaints, which had been transferred to the Westminster diocese headed by Nichols.
Over several months she emailed the cardinal four times but he declined to respond in person because he did not think it was his role to “adjudicate” on her complaints about his diocese’s safeguarding commission.Over several months she emailed the cardinal four times but he declined to respond in person because he did not think it was his role to “adjudicate” on her complaints about his diocese’s safeguarding commission.
His private secretary told her she should approach another part of the Catholic church. In one email, the woman, who has not been identified, wrote: “I feel incredibly let down and ignored by Westminster.”His private secretary told her she should approach another part of the Catholic church. In one email, the woman, who has not been identified, wrote: “I feel incredibly let down and ignored by Westminster.”
The inquiry was shown emails in which the woman was described by officials as “passive aggressive”. Fr Jeremy Trood, a priest in Westminster, wrote to Peter Houghton, the chair of the diocesan safeguarding commission, saying: “This woman is deeply manipulative.”The inquiry was shown emails in which the woman was described by officials as “passive aggressive”. Fr Jeremy Trood, a priest in Westminster, wrote to Peter Houghton, the chair of the diocesan safeguarding commission, saying: “This woman is deeply manipulative.”
In reply, the inquiry was told, Houghton wrote: “Agreed. We need to keep playing the good practice card if we are to contain this person’s manipulative behaviour.”In reply, the inquiry was told, Houghton wrote: “Agreed. We need to keep playing the good practice card if we are to contain this person’s manipulative behaviour.”
Asked about those exchanges, Nichols, who has since met the victim, admitted he had not spoken to Houghton about his description of the woman. The cardinal said he was sorry he had not responded to her directly and not handled her complaint differently.Asked about those exchanges, Nichols, who has since met the victim, admitted he had not spoken to Houghton about his description of the woman. The cardinal said he was sorry he had not responded to her directly and not handled her complaint differently.
Nichols, who is also president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, agreed with Altman that in terms of introducing a new code of conducts for priests, “the wheels of change had been turning slowly” and accepted that “there is a crisis [over child abuse] in the Catholic church”. Nichols, who is also president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, agreed with Altman that in terms of introducing a new code of conduct for priests, “the wheels of change had been turning slowly” and accepted that there was “a crisis [over child abuse] in the Catholic church”.
The cardinal conceded that: “Over the past 20 years, the experience in this country is that we have been struggling to cope with the presence of evil embodied in [the Catholic church’s] own members which has shocked us to the core.” The cardinal conceded: “Over the past 20 years the experience in this country is that we have been struggling to cope with the presence of evil embodied in [the Catholic church’s] own members which has shocked us to the core.”
Asked whether he “got” the issue of child abuse, the cardinal insisted that he understood the traumatic impact of abuse on victims. He said he had met victims of clerical sexual abuse and “wept with them” on several occasions.Asked whether he “got” the issue of child abuse, the cardinal insisted that he understood the traumatic impact of abuse on victims. He said he had met victims of clerical sexual abuse and “wept with them” on several occasions.
The Vatican has repeatedly refused to cooperate with official investigations into paedophile priests and has been censured by the inquiry for years of delays in stripping convicted offenders of their clerical status.The Vatican has repeatedly refused to cooperate with official investigations into paedophile priests and has been censured by the inquiry for years of delays in stripping convicted offenders of their clerical status.
Asked what he made of the Holy See’s plea of diplomatic immunity in declining to explain the role of the church’s Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), which is supposed to discipline priests who commit offences, Nichols said: “I don’t understand the niceties of international law in these things … I believe it’s a statement of international law.”Asked what he made of the Holy See’s plea of diplomatic immunity in declining to explain the role of the church’s Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), which is supposed to discipline priests who commit offences, Nichols said: “I don’t understand the niceties of international law in these things … I believe it’s a statement of international law.”
The cardinal said the Vatican’s own police service had not been given sufficient credit for its cooperation with British detectives in locating and helping to extradite Fr Laurence Soper, who had fled to Kosovo in 2011 after withdrawing £182,000 from a Vatican bank account. He was subsequently jailed for 18 years for abusing boys at St Benedict’s school in Ealing, west London.The cardinal said the Vatican’s own police service had not been given sufficient credit for its cooperation with British detectives in locating and helping to extradite Fr Laurence Soper, who had fled to Kosovo in 2011 after withdrawing £182,000 from a Vatican bank account. He was subsequently jailed for 18 years for abusing boys at St Benedict’s school in Ealing, west London.
David Enright, a solicitor at the law firm Howe and Co who represents 20 clients at the inquiry, said they had been “rebuffed” by the church.David Enright, a solicitor at the law firm Howe and Co who represents 20 clients at the inquiry, said they had been “rebuffed” by the church.
Richard Scorer, a solicitor at Slater and Gordon who acts for 27 victims of Catholic church abuse in the inquiry, said: “Despite all the rhetoric, there is no ‘one church’ approach to safeguarding; improvements have been lamentably slow; treatment of survivors has been consistently poor, including in Cardinal Nichols’s own diocese; and it is clear that culturally and structurally the Catholic church is simply incapable of delivering the changes survivors need.”Richard Scorer, a solicitor at Slater and Gordon who acts for 27 victims of Catholic church abuse in the inquiry, said: “Despite all the rhetoric, there is no ‘one church’ approach to safeguarding; improvements have been lamentably slow; treatment of survivors has been consistently poor, including in Cardinal Nichols’s own diocese; and it is clear that culturally and structurally the Catholic church is simply incapable of delivering the changes survivors need.”
Keith Porteous Wood, the president of the National Secular Society who has given evidence to the inquiry, said: “The church cannot be trusted to mark its own homework. It is essential that legislation requiring mandatory reporting of institutional abuse enforced by criminal sanctions is passed urgently.” Keith Porteous Wood, president of the National Secular Society, who has given evidence to the inquiry, said: “The church cannot be trusted to mark its own homework. It is essential that legislation requiring mandatory reporting of institutional abuse enforced by criminal sanctions is passed urgently.”