Reported incidents of child abuse in the UK Catholic Church continue to rise, a new report today reveals.
The small increase of just two per cent comes as the Church seeks to overhaul its safeguarding approach ahead of a national inquiry into institutions' responses to child sex abuse.
But it emerged some religious orders have still not signed up to the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission's guidance, notwithstanding mass resources dedicated to establishing a telephone helpline and trained safeguarding officers in each parish.
Sister Lyndsay Spendelow, vice-chair of the Commission, said most Catholic groups were part of the framework.
'We are aware there are a few who have not signed up,' she said at the report launch on Friday. 'It is not very many.
'We are trying to find a way of monitoring it,' she added, saying the Commission does not have the jurisdiction to force religious orders to be compliant.
'We are aware of it and all we can do is encourage people to sign up.'
Despite the central efforts to tackle abuse with 96 per cent of parishes now covered by a specialised safeguarding officers, a quarter of reported incidents last year were new cases, meaning ongoing attacks are still occurring.
Dr Colette Limbrick, director Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service (CSAS), said: 'One case is one too many.'
But she added she was encouraged that people were reporting abuse early, saying real harm was done when abuse went unreported.
'I am pleased that people are reporting within a year. To me that is a result that people have the confidence to come forward and report it.'
Chris Pearson, chair of the commission, said: 'There is never a point of saying we have achieved all that is necessary.'
He added: 'Complacency is the enemy of safeguarding. All those involved in safeguarding are tasked to ensure that complacency never happens; we constantly have to be open to challenging others and being challenged ourselves.'
