Some Catholic religious orders still failing to protect children

Some Catholic religious orders are still failing to adequately protect children against sex abuse 20 years after the scale of the problem became evident.

A review by the National Board for the Safeguarding of Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC) has revealed glaring gaps in its safeguards, including poor written policies around child protection; unclear procedures for dealing with complaints; a lack of commitment to education and training; incomplete records about past cases and current monitoring and supervision arrangements; and even in reporting allegations.

In one case, a priest who admitted accessing child porn was still in ministry and was an acting prior with “ambitions to continue or undertake a leadership position within the order”, according to the review.