Home Office minister Jess Phillips has said that abuse victims deserve meaningful change from institutions rather than “lamenting and repenting,” as MPs called for fully independent safeguarding in the Church of England (CoE).
Speaking in a House of Commons debate on safeguarding in the CoE, Ms Phillips refused to dictate specific reforms for the Church following recent safeguarding failures but stressed that institutions have a duty to implement change.
“We owe a debt to the victims who come forward about any institutional abuse,” she said. “We owe them more than lamenting and repenting—we owe them change.”
Church of England’s safeguarding debate
The debate comes after the General Synod, the Church’s governing body, rejected a proposal for a fully independent safeguarding model, opting instead for a partially independent system. While the endorsed model would transfer national safeguarding staff to an external body, diocesan and cathedral officers would remain under Church employment.
Victims and campaigners had pushed for a wholly independent body to ensure accountability, following a series of abuse scandals within the Church. The most prominent of these was the case of John Smyth, a Christian camp leader whose abuse of young people was exposed in a damning report, ultimately leading to the resignation of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
Ms Phillips, whose portfolio includes safeguarding matters, condemned all forms of abuse in religious settings, stating:
“I condemn the acts of psychological, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse against both adults and children, including where they occur in religious settings or contexts.”
Drawing from her experience advocating for an independent process to oversee misconduct cases in Parliament, she highlighted the harm caused by institutional failures:
“What I know from years of working with victims is that what happened to them was horrendous. But what continued to happen because of failures of institutions to act was worse.”
MPs demand full independence
Opening the debate, Labour MP Luke Myer (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland) accused the Church of “marking its own homework” and insisted that safeguarding must be overseen by an independent body.
“While some improvements have been made, there remain systemic underlying vulnerabilities arising from the Church’s safeguarding structure,” Mr Myer said.
He cited a 2024 report by Professor Alexis Jay, The Future of Church Safeguarding in the Church of England, which concluded that only a fully independent system could provide adequate protection.
“The central problem is that the complexity of the Church means that rather than one approach, there are 42 different dioceses, each with different safeguarding systems,” Mr Myer explained.
“This limits effective safeguarding. As Professor Jay noted in her report, the Church’s safeguarding service falls below the standards of consistency expected and set in secular organisations.”
He further stressed the importance of a uniform national approach, saying:
“It is simply not acceptable that the experience of survivors should vary depending on where they live. There must be a system that is unified and consistent, evenly resourced, and supported by independent safeguarding professionals.”
Calls for urgent action
Labour MP Marsha de Cordova, who serves as the Church’s representative in the Commons as Second Church Estates Commissioner, acknowledged the ongoing concerns and urged the Church to act swiftly.
“The Church must treat its work for independent safeguarding operations as a matter of urgency,” she said. “We need no more blocking, we just need action—because action really will speak louder than any of the words that any of us have to say here today.”
Jonathan Davies, the Labour MP for Mid Derbyshire, warned that the Church must take responsibility or risk severe consequences.
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“The Church absolutely must get this issue right,” he said. “If it fails to do so, it will face an existential threat.”
A culture of silence must end
Ms Phillips made it clear that institutions must not prioritise their reputations over the well-being of victims.
“There should be no status that is protected from scrutiny, and cultures of silence—whether through wilful ignorance or, worse, malign intent—must end,” she said.
Quoting her mother’s words, she added:
“‘Sorry’ is just a word you say. Changing your behaviour proves to me that you are sorry.”
The minister reiterated that institutions, particularly those with a moral and spiritual duty, must lead by example when it comes to safeguarding.
“There must be no more failures,” she said. “We must do right by victims—not just in words, but in actions.”
As debates over safeguarding reforms continue, the pressure is mounting for the Church of England to implement a fully independent system that ensures past failures are not repeated.
