HISTORY
How It All Began
The Clergy Abused Network (C.A.N.) was established in 2008/9 when a small steering committee formed to provide a safe environment for those persons wishing to report childhood sexual abuse in a religious context. Founding members could see a need for help and support for those who were unable to act on their own behalf or who were not comfortable seeking help from religious institutions.
Some had previous experiences of not being believed and were left with a feeling of helplessness. In 2010, C.A.N. was publicly launched and has provided support to survivors when reporting to police, when appearing in court cases, and testifying at both the Special Commission of Inquiry – Newcastle 2013 and the Case Studies conducted during the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.