SATURDAY APRIL 28 2001

Bishops agree on child abuse shield

BY RUTH GLEDHILL, RELIGION CORRESPONDENT

ROMAN Catholic bishops have agreed to accept all the recommendations of the Nolan review into child abuse by the Church's priests. They are to advertise for a person to head a new national child protection unit to root out child abusers by vetting clergy, lay staff and volunteers.
The bishops pledged that this person need neither be ordained nor be a Catholic, though they would "not be prejudiced" against a Catholic.

Announcing the rapid implementation of the proposals Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor, the Archbishop of Westminster, said: "We are committed to ensuring the Church becomes the safest of places for children, and indeed an example of best practice in the whole field of child protection."