Hayley Halpin and
Barry O’Connor,BBC News NI
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Rev Gribben said people had been placed at risk which the church “profoundly regrets”
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said it is engaged in ongoing discussions with the Presbyterian Church in Ireland to ensure mechanisms are in place to support anyone who wishes to report abuse.
“Serious and significant failings” in safeguarding within the church between 2009 and 2022 were disclosed on Wednesday leading to its moderator, Rev Trevor Gribben, stepping down.
Rev Gribben said people had been placed at risk which the church “profoundly regrets”.
The PSNI said discussions began after concerns were raised by the church following the conviction of an individual in 2024 for child sexual offences.
Detective Chief Superintendent Zoe McKee, head of the PSNI’s Public Protection Branch, said: “The PSNI remains committed to working in partnership with all relevant agencies and organisations to ensure that robust safeguarding measures are in place to protect vulnerable individuals.”
The Moderator for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is the most senior office-bearer in the organisation.
The lack of information contained in his announcement on Wednesday has come under some criticism.
Speaking earlier, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said: “I don’t think we have been furnished with all the information.
“A lot of people will be concerned at what has been said and also be concerned about what hasn’t been said.”
He told Good Morning Ulster it was difficult to make any judgement with so little information and called for more clarity on what exactly had happened.
“Our thoughts are with those who are affected. This is a serious issue and we need to make sure people are protected and are safe,” he added.
The minister said he hoped people would come forward.
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Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, pictured at an earlier date, says questions have been raised that must be answered
PSNI investigation
On Wednesday, the acting clerk of the General Assembly, Rev Dr David Allen, said the church had initiated an investigation after receiving information from the PSNI in May.
“We became aware of the actions of a member of one of our congregations – not within that congregation, but in another area of his life.
“The PSNI told us they were investigating this individual.
“They prevented us from taking any action until their investigation was completed. When this investigation was complete, they gave us the go-ahead to carry out internal investigations into our processes.”
He said there were three Presbyterian congregations “where we are aware of people who have come forward and spoken with us”.
He said congregations on both sides of the Irish border had been affected.
How many cases is the church aware of?
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Rev David Bruce said the church does not know “precisely who has been harmed”
The general council convener Rev David Bruce said the church does not know “precisely who has been harmed”.
Rev Bruce said the number of cases they are aware of is “very small,” however, he said the church was keen to hear from anyone with concerns.
Rev Bruce said the church had instituted a response line because “we want people to get in touch with their stories”.
“It is inevitable that there are people out there, whether they are younger or older who have been affected by this and the important thing for us is we can hear from them, respond to them and channel them towards the right sorts of support they will need,” he added.
Rev Bruce said the church has committed to improving its oversight and supervision “of all of these matters”.
He said it is “easy for an institution to become culturally lazy where it is assumed that certain things are happening because people talk a good game or because we got into the habit of believing that certain things are happening”.
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The head of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Rev Trevor Gribben stepped down on Wednesday
What have Presbyterian ministers said?
Presbyterian minister Rev Cheryl Meban told the Talkback programme that she is “deeply sad” about the news.
“As a church, we do need to recognise that there is a culture of control, in any institution and this is not just churches,” she said.
“To see people that I know, have love and respect for, taking a rap is difficult and heartbreaking, but at the same time it’s nothing like the suffering of people who have been shut down and left to feel that their story is not valued and important enough to be taken seriously.”
Rev Meban said any review should be external as “no institution can be trusted to police itself”.
