Bishops ‘supporting’ child safety audits

THE body charged with safeguarding children in the Catholic Church has said all the country’s bishops are participating in the church’s audit into child protection practices, despite media reports to the contrary.

A spokesman for the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC) said that as stated in its annual report of 2010, which was published on May 11 last, an agreed set of documents had been finalised to enable the revival of the diocesan audits.

The process had been stalled last year after data protection concerns were expressed by the bishops which they claimed meant they could not supply all information requested.