Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
A recent inquiry has brought to light serious safeguarding concerns involving an east Belfast church where an individual with a criminal record of 45 convictions was appointed as a lay pastor. Joe Turner began his role at St Brendan’s parish, under the Church of Ireland, in Sydenham in 2017. Notably, this appointment occurred shortly after Turner was involved in an assault case, where he reportedly broke the ribs of a man in his seventies. He was later convicted of this assault within the same year.
Turner has maintained that his criminal history did not impact his suitability for his position at the church. Meanwhile, the Church of Ireland has refrained from commenting specifically on Turner’s case but emphasized the importance it places on safeguarding responsibilities. Investigations by BBC Spotlight, including interviews with whistleblowers, addressed historic and recent safeguarding challenges within the Church. Turner was identified as a “commissioned lay worker” at St Brendan’s but described his responsibilities as a pastor for the community.
A confidential church report reviewed by Spotlight highlighted several issues relating to Turner’s behaviour. The report originated after a vulnerable woman from the parish made a serious allegation against him in late 2019. Turner was temporarily suspended during the church’s internal inquiry, which ultimately found the woman’s claim lacked credibility. However, the investigation uncovered numerous other concerns related to his conduct. It was also revealed at the point of suspension that Turner had never undergone the enhanced criminal record checks (Access NI) mandated for his role, despite the church’s awareness of his background, which reportedly included paramilitary links and a prison sentence for armed robbery.
Turner admitted he believed previous checks from earlier roles sufficed and only complied with the necessary review five months after being prompted, more than two years after the assault incident. The Church of Ireland attributed the delay to an administrative oversight. Safeguarding specialist Marcella Leonard criticized the failure, describing it as “a complete lack of proactive safeguarding for a known risk.” Additional concerns emerged when Turner was explicitly prohibited from attending a youth trip to a Christian theme park in Kentucky, involving teenagers as young as 14, during his suspension. Despite the ban, Turner attended the trip, claiming in his defense that he went as a parent. The internal report further accused him of entering a bathroom used by female youth members without knocking while some were undressed, an allegation Turner denies, along with causing any distress.
Separately, former minister Rev Adrian McCartney, previously on a church safeguarding panel, spoke out about another issue involving Bishop David McClay of the diocese, which McClay denies. McCartney was involved in reporting the initial serious claim by the vulnerable woman. A year after the allegation, McCartney said the bishop asked him to convince the woman to withdraw her statement, even offering “a small number of thousands of pounds” to assist her in relocating. McCartney declined these requests, citing two meetings with the bishop in October 2020. Bishop McClay countered these assertions, stating his involvement was part of an episcopal visitation and that he offered pastoral support to the woman and McCartney. He described the allegations as stemming from personal grievances fueled by theological disagreements. McCartney admitted tensions existed between them but insisted those were unrelated to why he came forward.
The Church of Ireland has not issued comments on specific allegations against Turner or Bishop McClay but reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding, asserting that its current policies and frameworks are robust
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.