Religious organisations and communities are frequent targets of abusers.
Religious institutions are often well-placed and strongly motivated to cover up incidents of sexual and physical abuse.
We work to hold these organisations to account and get justice for abuse victims and survivors.
Many religious organisations enjoy a close relationship with the establishment and tend to see themselves as above the law. This can increase the risk of abuse, prevent perpetrators from facing justice, and impede efforts to support and compensate victims and survivors of abuse.
Those intent on abuse are often attracted to religious institutions. Such organisations give access to, and sometimes extreme control over, numerous children and vulnerable adults.
When abuse does occur, religious organisations often act to protect the reputation of the institution above the rights of the victim. They may pressure the victim to stay silent and move the perpetrator to somewhere unaware of their reputation.
Many religious institutions also have influence and connections that enable them to evade justice and scrutiny, often for decades.
All forms of abuse, be they sexual, physical or psychological, can cause serious harm. Victims of abuse in religious settings have suffered physical and mental health problems, including addiction, self-harm and suicide.
Abuse can take place in any religious setting. That's why we work at the national and international level to hold religious organisations to account for safeguarding failings, and to ensure victims and survivors can get justice.
Take action!
1. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
2. Write to your MP
Ask your MP to support our work to end abuse in religion settings
3. Join the National Secular Society
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
Christian Concern back parents over accusations adopted son was “held down” at prayer meeting for an exorcism
Posted: Fri, 5 Feb 2016 10:55
Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre are assisting a couple whose adopted sons were removed, after accusations one of the boys had been held down at a prayer meeting while people talked in tongues to exorcise a demon.
Social workers also raised concerns that the "disciplinary regime" for the two children in the couple's house was "inappropriate, damaging and punitive" and that punishments went beyond a "smack".
The Telegraph reported that "The boys complained that they were unfairly smacked, shouted at and restrained by the couple, had soap put in their mouths when they swore and the older boy was put in cold showers when he behaved badly."
A prayer meeting eventually took place because it was believed that the older of the two boys was possessed by "demons". The boy's behaviour was said by the couple to be "impossible". At the meeting, the older boy said he was "held down" and restrained while attendees spoke to him in a "different language".
The couple admitted that "certain attendees" at the prayer meeting "talked in tongues around him".
In an interview about the case with LBC, the chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, Andrea Williams, confirmed that she did believe in demons.
Presenter Iain Dale said there was "clearly a lot of evidence" pointing to the poor treatment of the boys and accused her of refusing to "accept" that.
As the interview progressed Williams said that she spoke in tongues, though not "very often".
The Christian Legal Centre is backing the parents in their effort to regain custody of the younger child.
Judges ruled that "more analysis" is required of his case before a decision is made on the couple's appeal to have the younger boy put back under their care.
Christian Concern is one of a number of religious groups objecting to Government plans to introduce safeguarding measures for supplementary schools.
NSS: Church cannot escape blame for the failure to uncover truth about sex abuse
Posted: Thu, 29 Oct 2015 16:24
The National Secular Society has said that the Church of England cannot escape blame following the jailing of a retired Anglican priest for sexual offences committed against boys as young as 14.
Vickery House, from West Sussex, was jailed for six and half years at the Old Bailey today after being found guilty of five charges of indecent assault. House had denied eight counts of indecent assault against six males aged 14 to 34 dating back to the 1970s and 1980s.
The former Church of England priest was the "Right-hand man" of disgraced bishop Peter Ball who was jailed earlier this month for a string of offences against teenagers and young men.
Three of House's victims were also abused by Ball around the time they took part in a Church of England scheme called Give A Year For Christ which was run by the clergymen.
Speaking after the sentencing, National Secular Society executive director, Keith Porteous Wood, said:
"House and Bishop Ball misused their Anglican religious order to attract and systematically abuse young men. Instead of exercising their duty of care, they ruthlessly exploited their religious and institutional power over the victims.
"Such clerical abuse has been rife in the Anglican diocese of Chichester for many decades. Some of the diocese's former bishops have misled enquiries or have even been abusers. The current bishop maintained, when one of his predecessors was exposed recently, that 'it [fell] far short of a cover-up' - even though a complaint had been made to the diocese in the 1990's. The Bishop of Chichester, Dr Martin Warner, needs to be much less defensive and more open.
"The Church cannot escape blame for the failure of numerous inquiries to uncover the truth only now starting to become apparent. That failure has allowed perpetrators to continue abusing and evade justice, compounding the abuse of victims.
"Given the appalling record in Chichester, I have no confidence in any country-wide enquiry conducted by the Church, however notionally independent, and I am calling for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, led by Hon. Lowell Goddard, to pay particular attention to Chichester."
