New Zealand Church’s safeguarding efforts praised, but report highlights need for action

St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Dunedin, New Zealand. / Credit: James Dignan via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

CNA Newsroom, Aug 16, 2024 / 12:12 pm (CNA).

An independent assessment of Catholic safeguarding protocols in New Zealand has highlighted significant progress in many areas while also pointing to the need for further improvements, according to a report released Thursday by Te Rōpū Tautoko, the group coordinating the Church’s engagement with the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.

The assessment, conducted by U.K.-based GCPS Consulting, examined the implementation and suitability of safeguarding culture standards across the Catholic Church in New Zealand. It included a review of policies and procedures and interviews with survivors, Church leaders, safeguarding officers, and parishioners.

The move follows the findings of New Zealand’s abuse commission, Abuse in Care: Royal Commission of Inquiry, in care institutions from 1950 to 1999 in a final report released in July.

The report revealed that up to 42% of those in faith-based care run by all denominations were abused in New Zealand during that time period. 

A 2020 briefing from the Catholic Church previously noted abuse accusations against 14% of its New Zealand clergy during those decades.

Catherine Fyfe, former chairperson of Te Rōpū Tautoko, said the new report “gives the Church a blueprint for further developing our safeguarding policies and procedures” when considered alongside the Royal Commission’s findings and recommendations.

Bishop Steve Lowe, president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ Conference, acknowledged the report’s findings on Aug. 16.

“It was encouraging to read how a range of approaches are working well, but there are areas where we can take existing efforts further to strengthen them,” he said.

The report’s key recommendations for the future of Catholic safeguarding in New Zealand include regular public reporting on cases reported to Church authorities, ensuring documents are more accessible, conducting more timely investigations, and embedding safeguarding in all Church roles.

Some commentators have called for the New Zealand Catholic bishops to reconsider their positions, arguing that the Church’s leadership has not sufficiently addressed past failings regarding abuse and neglect.

Father Thomas Rouse, SSC, president of the Congregational Leaders Conference — an organization that represents the leaders of religious congregations in New Zealand — emphasized the need for increased dialogue with survivors and their representatives. 

“The road towards a sense of truth, of justice, of healing is one we must walk with those who have been abused in our settings,” he stated.

Lowe and Rouse indicated that their respective organizations will develop an official plan to respond to the report’s recommendations alongside the ongoing review of the Royal Commission’s findings.

“We have much to consider, and we are committed to providing the leadership our Church needs at this time to continue the work of creating and maintaining the safest possible environments for all people,” Lowe concluded.

The New Zealand investigation is notably the most wide-ranging investigation into abuse and neglect undertaken worldwide, according to its leadership. The investigation looked into abuse in faith-based care, state institutions, foster care, schools, and medical settings, and interviewed nearly 2,500 survivors.