'Non-recent cases are not any less serious'

Detective Superintendent Rick Hatton led a police operation to investigate past child abuse connected to the Church of England in Lincolnshire.

He says that non-recent cases of abuse are no less serious than current ones. He believes they are more serious as if a perpetrator is not dealt with straight away there is an ongoing risk of them offending.

The Diocese of Lincoln acknowledged that past matters have not been handled well and apologised that it took so long for justice to be served. It said it has developed an effective partnership with Lincolnshire Police and, where convictions were not an option, risk was managed appropriately.

Det Sup Hatton spoke to reporter Jane Corbin for the BBC Panorama documentary 'Scandal in the Church of England', which is broadcast on Monday 29 April at 20:30 BST on BBC One.