Exhibit 486

The Roman Catholic Church: Investigation Report

Exhibit 486 · Public inquiry report

The Roman Catholic Church: Investigation Report

Responses to disclosures about sexual abuse have been characterised by a failure to support victims and survivors in stark contrast to the positive action taken to protect alleged perpetrators and the reputation of the Church.

Reports over 900 complaints involving over 3,000 instances of abuse against over 900 individuals, 1970-2015 (from a Church-commissioned review), with 177 prosecutions and 133 convictions; says the true scale is likely much higher and that more than 100 allegations a year were reported since 2016. Finds the Church prioritized its reputation; records progress after the Nolan (2001) and Cumberlege (2007) reports. Copy is a diocesan host of the IICSA PDF; official copy at iicsa.org.uk.

Source: Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), England and Wales
Date: 10 November 2020
Quoted from: Executive Summary, p. vi
Grade: Primary record
Document: https://salisburycatholics.org/sites/salisbury/files/catholic-church-investigation-report-10-november-2020.pdf
Accessed: 2026-11-09
Cited by: Findings citing this exhibit

Cited by

Finding REL-3.9: Primary record England and Wales's Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse found in 2020 that the Catholic Church and the Church of England each prioritized protecting their reputations over supporting victims. Its Catholic report counts more than 900 complaints from 1970 to 2015 with 133 convictions, and its Anglican report counts 390 convicted offenders associated with the Church of England from the 1940s to 2018.