Australia: Anglican Church 'facing up' to sexual abuse

posted June 17, 2009

The Anglican Church in Australia says it has begun implementing recommendations of a major report aimed at preventing child sexual abuse in its ranks.

The church today released the report on 191 cases of abuse reported around the country between 1990 and 2008.

Australia's Primate, Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, says they asked researchers from the University of Sydney to examine the cases.

Archbishop Aspinall says researchers found church records must be improved and codes of conduct for protecting children must be better enforced.

"We wanted to be as honest and as transparent and as up front about it as we could be," he said.

"While some of what's reported back to us is confronting... facing up to it is the only way we'll really improve our protective behaviours."
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