From the late 1990s to approximately 2010, the Archdiocese of Birmingham was the focus of much publicity over its involvement in and response to cases of alleged child sexual abuse. There were a number of high-profile criminal cases, about which numerous articles appeared in both local and national newspapers, and at least two television documentaries focussed on the Archdiocese’s handling of child sexual abuse allegations. As the Archdiocese accepted:

“This Inquiry has heard more than sufficient evidence to be satisfied that during the second half of the last century, the Archdiocese was responsible for a number of institutional failings which on occasions permitted the sexual abuse of children to continue when it might otherwise have been stopped. Such failings are to the immense discredit of the Archdiocese and it is for Archbishop Longley to demonstrate that during this century, not only have significant improvements to safeguarding been made but also,for the present and future, children are and will be safe.”^[1]