The United Kingdom government has called on religious leaders in the country to do more to prevent and combat abuse within their organisations.

Jess Phillips, government Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, said in a parliamentary working group debate on ‘Safeguarding in Faith Communities’ that there is still work to be done in churches, mosques and other faith settings.

“Freedom of religion is a cornerstone of our democracy, but it can never be a shield for abuse or inaction”, she said.

“I have been clear that anyone undertaking relevant activity with children in England will be subject to the new duty to report child sexual abuse. This includes religious instructors, youth workers and volunteers”.

Currently, most evangelical churches already implement abuse prevention protocols for all people working with minors. Many also offer anonymous and safe ways to report possible breaches of the code.

However, Minister Philipps believes that faith communities can still improve when it comes to “raising standards, closing loopholes, and ensuring that every child – regardless of their faith or background – is safe, heard, and protected”.

The Church of England takes further steps

For its part, the Church of England (Anglican Communion) has voted in favour of a new plan at its general synod that seeks to bring justice and restoration to victims of abuse in the context of its churches.

£150 million will be allocated to compensate victims, although the plan does not want to focus solely on financial issues.

The programme, which will be managed independently, seeks to ensure that the church also offers formal apologies, therapeutic support and other forms of redress to those who have suffered abuse in the context of the church.

The person responsible for this project, Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Winchester, told Premier News: “We are responding to a clear and urgent need, shameful as it is that we have had to do that”.

“The currency of abuse is secrecy, it’s coercion, it’s fear. It happens in the dark, both literally and metaphorically”, he added. “And that is the exact opposite of everything that the gospel of Jesus Christ is about”.