National Learnt Lessons Review published into a previous Director of Music at Rochester Cathedral

The National Safeguarding Team’s independent lessons learnt review into the recruitment and appointment of William Scott Farrell, a previous Director of Music at Rochester Cathedral, has been published today, Thursday 26 May.

The full report can be found on the Church of England website

Scott Farrell was sentenced to five years imprisonment in 2019 for a number of sexual offences. He was Director of Music at Rochester Cathedral at the time of his arrest.

In May 2019, Farrell pleaded guilty to charges of voyeurism and making indecent images of children and adults from the time he was working in Rochester. He also pleaded guilty to contact offences against a child dating back some twenty years to when he was working as Assistant Director of Music in Ely.

The review was commissioned by the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team and carried out by Chris Robson. The reviewer’s work was informed by the three cathedral reviews conducted in; Rochester, Ely and Newcastle (where Farrell worked before moving to Ely).

 Responding to the publication of the Review on behalf of the Cathedral, the Dean of Rochester, The Very Revd Dr Philip Hesketh AKC DL says:

‘I welcome the publication today of the national learnt lessons review into William Scott Farrell, which I receive on behalf of the entire Cathedral.

Mine and the whole Cathedral’s thoughts and prayers are with the victims and survivors of Scott Farrell, and for all those who continue to be affected by his grievous breach of trust.

I am acutely aware of how affecting the publication of this Review will be to them and their families, and its potential to be a trigger for painful and difficult memories.

To them, I say again how truly sorry we are for what happened, and for the part we played in allowing Farrell’s abuse to take place.

I commend the bravery of all those who came forward, allowing a light to be shone into this darkness within our community.

The Review provides a shocking picture of missed opportunities, failings of practice, and derogation of responsibility.

The safeguarding of children and all within the Cathedral community is paramount and we are working hard to ensure that the Cathedral is a safe and welcoming place for all.

We fully endorse the recommendations of the Review and note particularly the places where culture and decision-making within the Cathedral is criticised. There is much for us in leadership to absorb and we will consider the Review’s findings very carefully to assess what further action is required of us.

To assist this, we are now developing a dedicated working group, which will include The King’s School Rochester, to look at this report and its recommendation, in order to inform our work going forward.

As a Cathedral we remain appalled and saddened by Scott Farrell’s offences, for which we continue to hold a sense of shame.’

 If you have a safeguarding concern

Anyone who has experience of, or information about this case, or any incident of Church related abuse, must always feel free to come forward knowing that they will be listened to.

Please visit the Safeguarding page of the Rochester Cathedral website where there is information about who to contact.

In addition, Safe Spaces is an independent service supporting survivors of church-related abuse. This independent service is run by the charity Victim Support and funded by the Church of England together with the Catholic Church in England and Wales and the Church in Wales.

It is free to access via telephone - 0300 303 1056 (answerphone available outside of opening times), email - safespaces@victimsupport.org, or web-chat via www.safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk/

For media enquiries please contact: Jennifer Ross, Communications Manager for the Diocese of Rochester on: jennifer.ross@rochester.anglican.org