Church Abuse

Highlight continuing safeguarding failures by the Church of England and its Archbishops’ Council
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Hot Topics
  • 10 February 2026 | Even after Parliament called it out, Synod members are still being misled about secret hearings
  • 9 February 2026 | When scrutiny gets silenced: what are they trying to hide?
  • 9 February 2026 | Preaching accountability while closing the shutters
  • 8 February 2026 | When the regulator comes knocking, the Archbishops’ Council puts on the blinkers
  • 3 February 2026 | Delay and control: the problems with the Archbishops’ Council’s safeguarding plans
Satirical cartoon showing Church of England figures on the left insisting that secret tribunal hearings are “normal everywhere”, while on the right MPs and peers demand “Open justice” and “No more cover-ups”. A giant gavel labelled “Parliament” smashes a pedestal marked “Secret Tribunal”, with Westminster in the background.

Archbishops' Council, Blog, Clergy Discipline, General Synod, Parliament 10 February 2026

Even after Parliament called it out, Synod members are still being misled about secret hearings

Parliament called it out. Synod was misled. Now the Church is being forced to retreat. The claim that secret hearings are the norm was rejected by MPs and peers — yet Synod members are still being told it’s standard practice. It isn’t.

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Caricature-style cartoon in landscape format showing a formal meeting scene. At centre, a suited chair with glasses leans toward a microphone, gesturing firmly as he declares a ruling. To his right, a wigged legal adviser sits hunched, covering part of his face with one hand in an embarrassed or evasive pose, with a small thought bubble showing ellipses. A bell, papers and glasses of water sit on the desk in front of them, against a wood-panelled background suggesting a formal chamber.

Archbishops' Council, Blog, Charity Commission, General Synod

When scrutiny gets silenced: what are they trying to hide?

Cartoon illustration of the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, crouching behind a large shield labelled “Standing Orders” as members of the General Synod approach with raised hands, papers, and question marks, symbolising attempts to question or hold him to account.

Bishops, Blog, General Synod

Preaching accountability while closing the shutters

Cartoon illustration of the Church of England’s General Synod chamber, shown in a wide, circular hall with tiered seating and a domed ceiling. At the top table sit two blindfolded archbishops, one male and one female, wearing red episcopal robes. Around the scene, six large magnifying glasses peer in from the edges, labelled Charity Commission, Parliament, Coroner, Police, Victims & Survivors, and Campaigners & Advocates, symbolising external scrutiny of the Synod proceedings.

Archbishops' Council, Bishops, Blog, Charity Commission, General Synod, Parliament

When the regulator comes knocking, the Archbishops’ Council puts on the blinkers

Archbishops' Council, Bishops, Blog, Briefings, Charity Commission, General Synod, Parliament

Delay and control: the problems with the Archbishops’ Council’s safeguarding plans

Cartoon-style illustration of a bald Anglican bishop in a purple cassock leaning on one side of unbalanced scales of justice, pressing down a large gavel while the opposite scale holding light files and silhouetted figures is raised, symbolising an imbalance between legal authority and safeguarding evidence.

Archbishops' Council, Bishops, Blog, Clergy Discipline

Archbishop Stephen Cottrell says he has been cleared — but the Tudor case is still under review

Cartoon-style illustration of a bald Anglican archbishop in purple standing between two contrasting courtrooms: one open and brightly lit with visible documents and observers, and the other dark and closed, symbolising the difference between open appellate justice and opaque internal disciplinary processes.

Archbishops' Council, Bishops, Blog, Clergy Discipline

Authority invoked, lessons avoided: what the Archbishop of York’s statement still fails to confront

Cartoon illustration of a bald Anglican archbishop in a purple cassock looking puzzled, scratching his head as he stands beside a locked filing cabinet wrapped in chains and padlocks, with a question mark in a thought bubble above him, symbolising uncertainty and lack of access to records.

Archbishops' Council, Bishops, Blog, Charity Commission, Clergy Discipline

Stephen Cottrell’s own words — and why they fail basic safeguarding and legal tests

Cartoon-style illustration of a courtroom scene in which a bald Anglican archbishop sits at a desk looking uneasy, while a kangaroo dressed as a judge presides from the bench holding a gavel, symbolising a “kangaroo court”.

Archbishops' Council, Bishops, Blog, Charity Commission, Clergy Discipline, General Synod

When “No Case To Answer” means no accountability: Why the Tudor decision exposes a safeguarding system beyond repair

The logo for Guarding the Flock website, featuring a sheep with the tagline "safeguard & serve"

Blog, Reviews 28 January 2026

Safeguarding and spin: An insider account worth reading

This testimony raises uncomfortable questions about power, truth and who really controls safeguarding responses.

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© 2025 Gavin Drake. All rights reserved

Recent Posts

  • Even after Parliament called it out, Synod members are still being misled about secret hearings
  • When scrutiny gets silenced: what are they trying to hide?
  • Preaching accountability while closing the shutters
  • When the regulator comes knocking, the Archbishops’ Council puts on the blinkers
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© 2025 Gavin Drake. All rights reserved