Clergy sex-crime review completed

The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch,appointed a lawyer to make sure none of the files contained childprotection issues.

The review came after former vicar David Smith was jailed for abusing six children over a 30-year period.

The Church of England was criticised because it had told complainants their concerns about Smith "were dealt with".

Allegations had been made to the Church of England on two occasions about the vicar, firstly in 1983 and again in 2001.

Smith, 52, of St John's Road, Clevedon, North Somerset, was jailed for five-and-a-half-years in May.

'Covered up'

It was the second abuse scandal to hit the church, afterformer choirmaster Peter Halliday, 61, was jailed for two-and-a-halfyears for sexually abusing boys in Hampshire in the late 1980s, amidclaims the church had "covered up" his crimes.

Bishop McCulloch's review took three months and aspokesman for him said: "All clergy files have now been reviewed and weare now confident they contain no outstanding child protection issuesconcerning our clergy."

The process involved the review of a total of 777records, which covered 195 retired clergy, about 570 active staff and11 Church Army members.

The Diocese of Manchester is the Church of England inBolton, Bury, Leigh, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Rossendale, Salford,Stockport, Tameside and Trafford.An investigation into 777 members of clergy in the diocese of Manchester has found no record of abuse allegations.

The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch,appointed a lawyer to make sure none of the files contained childprotection issues.

The review came after former vicar David Smith was jailed for abusing six children over a 30-year period.

The Church of England was criticised because it had told complainants their concerns about Smith "were dealt with".

Allegations had been made to the Church of England on two occasions about the vicar, firstly in 1983 and again in 2001.

Smith, 52, of St John's Road, Clevedon, North Somerset, was jailed for five-and-a-half-years in May.

'Covered up'

It was the second abuse scandal to hit the church, afterformer choirmaster Peter Halliday, 61, was jailed for two-and-a-halfyears for sexually abusing boys in Hampshire in the late 1980s, amidclaims the church had "covered up" his crimes.

Bishop McCulloch's review took three months and aspokesman for him said: "All clergy files have now been reviewed and weare now confident they contain no outstanding child protection issuesconcerning our clergy."

The process involved the review of a total of 777records, which covered 195 retired clergy, about 570 active staff and11 Church Army members.

The Diocese of Manchester is the Church of England inBolton, Bury, Leigh, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Rossendale, Salford,Stockport, Tameside and Trafford.