LONDON (Reuters) -The biggest Protestant church in Northern Ireland is under criminal investigation over safeguarding concerns, police said on Monday, after the Presbyterian Church admitted failures in the way it handled cases for over a decade.
Around one in six people in Northern Ireland belong to the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI), one of three main Protestant churches, while 42% identify as Catholic, in a region with a violent sectarian history where religious identity has long been intertwined with politics.
Northern Irish police confirmed the probe in a statement, saying they would investigate all criminal offences and work with statutory partners to ensure victims can access the criminal justice process and perpetrators are held to account.
The Church said on Sunday that between 2009 and 2022 it failed to refer cases to statutory authorities when required, kept inadequate records, and did not respond adequately to concerns about individuals in its congregations.
The Church's chief public representative, Trevor Gribben, stepped aside last week, citing the safeguarding failings that occurred during his tenure.
"I must say now that these failures are inexcusable, and no excuse is being made for them. On behalf of the Presbyterian Church, I am deeply sorry," David Allen, the Acting Clerk of the PCI's General Assembly said in the statement.
"I'm sorry, firstly, because people have been let down by us. Through past actions, or not acting as we should, we have put people at risk, and we know that some people have been harmed."
The Church said the failings did not involve its current safeguarding team, adding that it would "cooperate fully" with an external audit that is underway. It also welcomed the police investigation on Monday.
(Reporting by Muvija M, editing by Padraic Halpin)
