GARDAÍ ARE URGING anyone who may be a victim of abuse relating to the Presbyterian Church in Ireland to come forward.
There are around 185,000 members of the Presbyterian Church from 500 congregations on the island of Ireland.
Last November, the Police Service of Northern Ireland also launched an investigation into allegations of abuse within the Church.
That investigation came after the moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Dr Trevor Gribben, stepped down following an internal review which found “serious and significant” safeguarding failures.
The internal report found that numerous safeguarding issues had occurred between 2009 and 2022, which included the Church failing to make referrals to statutory authorities when necessary, as well as neglecting to respond adequately to concerns raised by members of the congregation.
An Garda Síochána are appealing to anyone who may have been a victim of abuse to contact them. The force has not received any direct complaints so far.
To date, the PSNI has received 114 referrals, including direct reports from victims, referrals from safeguarding partners and other parties.
A garda spokesperson said: “An Garda Síochána will deal with any matters reported by complainants in a sensitive manner and will, where possible, progress matters through investigation.
“An Garda Síochána will endeavour to effectively deal with all contacts, however there may be limitations as to the action that could be taken in some cases due to matters such as the unavailability of evidence over time or suspects and/or witnesses being deceased.”
For the purpose of reporting to An Garda Síochána, the following options are available:
- By emailing GNPSB_SCMU@garda.ie
- By phoning the Sexual Crime Management Unit on (01) 666 3430 or (01) 666 3435
- By phoning the Garda Child Sexual Abuse Reporting Line on 1800 555 222. This is a confidential and free service available 24/7
- Calling to your local Garda Station