Church safeguarding review after abuse allegations

A report into the safeguarding culture and policies at a church has been commissioned after accusations of sexual abuse against its former rector.

St Ebbe's Church in Oxford has ordered the report after allegations of sexually abusive, coercive and controlling behaviour towards women and girls were made against David Fletcher earlier this year.

Mr Fletcher was rector of St Ebbe's Church between 1986 and 1998 and remained a member of its congregation until his death in January 2022, aged 89.

The Church of England previously said information about him was brought to its attention after a review into the actions of serial abuser John Smyth was published in November.

The Makin Review found the Church had covered up Smyth's "abhorrent" abuse, and ultimately led to the resignation of the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

Mr Fletcher led the Iwerne camps in Dorset between 1967 and 1986 where Smyth met some of those he would go on to abuse.

Smyth, who died in 2018, is said to have subjected as many as 130 boys and young men to traumatic attacks across five decades in the UK and Africa.

Announcing its own review into its safeguarding practices, St Ebbe's said it would "examine past and present safeguarding culture and practice", including allegations against Mr Fletcher made "more recently within the church community".

It said the review would exclusively focus on areas in which the church was "active or for which we have responsibility".

"It is not a review of David Fletcher's activity in other spheres, neither is it restricted to concerns about him," the statement said.

The review, which will be led by Christian Safeguarding Services (CSS), would be carried out with the "utmost care, sensitivity and confidentiality", St Ebbe's added.

You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.