Church admits failure over sisters' 'sadistic' abuse

The Read sisters Jenny, Wendy and Christina were abused as children

The Church of England has apologised to three sisters who say they were "fobbed off" after reporting historical child sex abuse claims.

Jenny, Wendy and Christina Read said they were "frequently" abused as young children by their father, a female church warden and a male curate in night-time "sadistic rituals" at a north-east England church.

An independent review commissioned by the Church found the institution's failure to take action "compounded" the women's trauma, while Cleveland Police "missed opportunities" to investigate for which the force apologised.

Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury when two of the reports were made, said he regretted how he handled the allegations.

This report contains distressing details

The sisters, who have waived their right to anonymity, said they reported the abuse three times to the Church and police years later but inadequate action was taken.

The Church, which never investigated, acknowledged its response "fell short of today's standards".

Meanwhile the police agreed they missed opportunities in their investigations, but said they would reinvestigate if new evidence came to light.

Mary Wairing was never criminally investigated before her death in 2015

The women's father died in 1996, while church warden and family friend Mary Wairing died in 2015. The BBC is not naming the curate or the sisters' father for legal reasons.

Wendy said she was raped by her father and the curate and then forced "to watch when they did the same thing to my sisters".

Jenny said her memories were of violence while Christina recalled being subjected to physical, emotional and spiritual abuse by Ms Wairing.

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All three sisters have been diagnosed with several mental health conditions linked to childhood sexual abuse.

They have also shown the BBC hundreds of documents detailing their correspondence with the Church of England since the early 1990s and said their attempt to get evidence of what action the Church took had been a "horrendous" experience.

'Dismissed and trivialised'

The sisters reported the allegations to three Bishops in the Church of England – in 1993, 2003 and 2005.

The curate and Ms Wairing still had active roles in the Church at the time of those disclosures.

In 1993 Wendy had sought the informal advice of the then-Bishop of Monmouth Rowan Williams, who she knew from university.

She said he told her he had spoken to the relevant bishop "to support Wendy's approach and urge him to respond".

Dr Williams told the BBC he also took steps to confirm the identity of the curate at the time.

In 2003, a year after becoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Williams was formally informed in writing of the allegations when Wendy reported the claim to the Bishop of Whitby Robert Ladds.

Wendy said Bishop Ladds left her feeling "dismissed and trivialised" when he "questioned the reliability of childhood memories".

Bishop Ladds recommended at the time she contact the police, but she felt she had "been there and done that" after a criminal investigation 10 years earlier brought no charges.

"It felt like he wanted nothing to do with it," Wendy said.

Bishop Ladds said the Church of England had responded on his behalf, he had cooperated fully throughout and he would be making no further comment.

Dr Rowan Williams was Archbishop of Canterbury from 2002 to 2012

Dr Williams told the BBC that Church structures made it difficult for him to take action.

"At the time this would have meant in practice that a local bishop would normally assess, with professional advice, whether action should be taken and of what kind," he said.

"There are some difficulties in overruling such a locally based process.

"I could not as Archbishop simply have suspended a priest in another diocese on my own authority."

After learning Bishop Ladds was not going to investigate, Dr Williams said he "could and should" have pressed the local archbishop to take it up, adding: "I very much regret that I did not follow up in this way."

He said he "may have misjudged what needed to be done".

Wendy said the Church's failure to commission a formal investigation was "really disappointing and frustrating".

The sisters reported their allegations to the Church again in 2005, but Dr Williams said he was not aware of that report.

'Church truly sorry'

An independent report commissioned by the Church – known as a Learning Lessons Review (LLR) – concluded the sisters "had been subjected to abuse based on the consistency of their testimonies, the graphic and detailed re-telling of their abuse, and therapy required".

It concluded the "initial disclosures were poorly handled" and the response from the institution in 1993 and 2003 "compounded the harm" for the sisters.

Jenny was shocked to learn the Church had no record of two of the sisters' reports being made.

"There's fobbing off," she said, adding: "It feels deliberate. I don't think they want to give me answers.

"They're either incompetent or they're covering up."

Jenny also accused the Church of "a lack of transparency" and being "secretive".

The Church of England said it "strongly" denies suggestions of a cover up.

A spokesman said it was "truly sorry" for the response the sisters received when they made their initial reports.

The Church said its "response to survivors who come forward today is very different" and it "would always seek" to put them at the centre of its response.

The relevant Diocese said it had "worked closely" with the sisters since 2020 and ensured they received "ongoing therapeutic, specialist and financial support".

The Church said the case was reviewed by its national child protection lead in 2003, but admitted the pastoral care initially provided "fell short of today's standards".

It said it was "committed to listening to survivors and the individual needs of the sisters".

The Church's interim leader, the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, had met the sisters and offered a "formal apology", the spokesman said.

'Police apologise unreservedly'

The LLR concluded the police response meant "opportunities have been missed" and the force's initial investigation appeared "to lack thoroughness".

The force has also apologised to the sisters.

Their father was arrested in 1992 when they first reported the abuse but neither the curate nor Ms Wairing were interviewed.

Another complaint was made to police in 2003 but there was no investigation.

In 2020, Cleveland Police investigated the allegations again and the curate was arrested but released due to insufficient evidence.

Christina said the fact Ms Wairing was never formally investigated by the force was the "the biggest offending misconduct".

Cleveland Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Baker said the force "acknowledges it missed opportunities" in 1993 and 2003, adding: "For this, I apologise unreservedly."

He said he was "satisfied" with the force's 2020 investigation and pledged to investigate any new evidence.

Wendy and Christina say they can never forget what happened

A Church document showed the institution did not investigate following advice from Cleveland Police in 2003, the same year the force now admits it missed opportunities.

"It's incomprehensible that the Church takes direction from the police," said Wendy, who was "speechless and "enraged" by the development.

The Church of England said, "in 2003 the accepted practice was to follow the advice of statutory services".

Jenny thinks "the whole institution [of the Church] is in danger" and nothing less than "a profound reformation" will "solve the problems they've got themselves into".

The Church admits it "must build future foundations" to ensure it's "as safe as it can be".

Christina is demanding a change in attitude from Church leaders.

"Too often I've heard 'that was in the past, you need to forget about it'," she said, adding: "That's somebody who doesn't understand the impact of trauma.

"You can't just forget about it."