Source: Church of England published on this website Monday 20 July 2026 by Jill Powell
This independent review, commissioned from thirtyone:eight, examines the Church of England’s handling of case TT, focusing on the response to allegations of rape, sexual abuse and spiritual abuse by two clergy youth officers, together with the Church’s subsequent management of those disclosures and the National Safeguarding Team (NST) investigation undertaken between 2019 and 2022. The allegations were first reported in 2001 but relate to events which occurred from 1979 and 1992.
The review considers the involvement of, and the actions taken by, the Dioceses of Southwark, Oxford and Leeds in response to TT’s allegations and related matters. The review considered whether the Church’s actions were thorough, proportionate, just, and consistent with safeguarding best practice, particularly in relation to survivor-centred and trauma-informed approaches.
Key recommendations include embedding survivor-centred and trauma-informed practice throughout safeguarding processes, strengthening record keeping and communication standards, improving workforce stability and professional development, clarifying information-sharing arrangements, recognising spiritual abuse within safeguarding frameworks, establishing clearer routes to apology, accountability and redress, and implementing independent safeguarding scrutiny and oversight.
The review also notes examples of good practice, including the support provided by TT’s advocate, pastoral engagement and apologies from current diocesan leaders, and efforts by some individuals to pursue what they described as the “right moral response” beyond the limitations of formal safeguarding processes.
The review acknowledges that Dioceses and the NST have begun implementing changes that address some of the recommendations in this report.
Kevin Crompton was appointed as the ICIR in September 2023 with a remit to progress the case reviews promised by the former Independent Safeguarding Board (ISB) to a group of survivors referred to as the ‘ISB 11’.
The Church of England’s Lead Safeguarding Bishop, Bishop Robert Springett, and the National Director of Safeguarding, Alexander Kubeyinje, said in response to the review:
“We would like to pay tribute to TT for the courage, determination and perseverance she has shown in engaging with this review, which has looked at both when she originally reported in dioceses and then came to the National Safeguarding Team in 2019. We are deeply sorry for the abuse she reported, and for the profound impact it has had on her life. We are also sorry that her experience of Church safeguarding left her feeling unsupported and further traumatised.
“We welcome the publication of this review, which was commissioned following the Archbishops’ Council appointing Kevin Crompton to look at the work promised by the former Independent Safeguarding Board, ISB. It raises important issues about how the Church of England responds to survivors, and about trauma-informed practice, communication and accountability.
“As the National Safeguarding Team's independent audit (by INEQE) shows, the NST has undergone significant transformation in recent years and is now a professional national function focused on improving safeguarding practice across the Church of England. Key safeguarding standards inform all our work. We are aware that our approach now is different to when the NST started, but we are committed to learning from this review as we continue to improve safeguarding across the Church of England. The recommendations in the review will now be considered in detail and monitored via the Safeguarding Data Analysis, Research and Evaluation (DARE) Unit and the National Safeguarding Steering Group (NSSG).”
