Making Churches Safe for Children

With the Catholic Church being plagued with child abuse charges in various countries, bishops in India are drawing up procedures to tackle such scandals if and when they happen.

With the Catholic Church being plagued with child abuse charges in various countries, bishops in India are drawing up procedures to tackle such scandals if and when they happen. The primary objective of these guidelines is to ensure ‘wholesome safety of children in and outside Christian institutions’. After four days of deliberations by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) and the Conference of Catholic Bishops in India (CCBI), a draft is on the anvil. “As per general consensus, the conference will report any suspected case of child abuse to the police. Strict punishment like defrocking and expulsion will be meted out if the accused is convicted by court,” says CBCI spokesperson Babu Joseph Karakombil.

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