An inquiry into the extent of any institutional failures to protect children from sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales.
The sexual abuse of children within the Roman Catholic Church has been a matter of national and international concern for many years: the Archbishop of Westminster’s calls for this Inquiry to be established reflected that concern.
This investigation considered the extent to which the Nolan and Cumberlege reviews of child protection in the Roman Catholic Church improved the Church’s policy and practice. Specific case studies have been identified by the investigation. The first case study examined the English Benedictine Congregation, which has been the subject of numerous allegations of child sexual abuse, including at schools run by the Congregation. The Inquiry has evaluated whether any failings identified within the English Benedictine Congregation and the Archdiocese of Birmingham are representative of wider failings within the Catholic Church.