The document, which was commissioned by the Church and was published on Friday, follows a three-year internal investigation into sexual and non-sexual abuse within the institution across the British Isles.
More than 2,000 alleged abusers and 914 allegations of sexual abuse have been revealed throughout Britain dating back to 1950. In Jersey, the States police say they are investigating the reports of abuse in the Island – under the umbrella of Operation Hydrant – and full details are due to be released next week.
A total of 48 reports uncovered by the investigation were described as ‘urgent’ or ‘of immediate and significant concern’.
It is unclear how many, if any, of these refer to cases in the Channel Islands.
In most cases, the victims claim they were abused when they were children.
Following the release of the report, the Rev Dr Martyn Atkins, general secretary of the Methodist Conference, issued an apology to victims of abuse, saying: ‘On behalf of the Methodist Church in Britain, I want to express an unreserved apology for the failure of its current and earlier processes fully to protect children, young people and adults from physical and sexual abuse inflicted by some ministers in Full Connexion and members of the Methodist Church,’ he said.
‘That abuse has been inflicted by some Methodists on children, young people and adults is and will remain a deep source of grief and shame to the Church.
‘We have not always listened properly to those abused, or cared for them, and this is deeply regrettable. In respect of these things we have, as a Christian Church, clearly failed to live in ways that glorify God and honour Christ.’
