Staying safe during the Covid-19 pandemic: religious organisations and the safeguarding of young people on the island of Ireland

The island of Ireland has gone through a reckoning regarding both the magnitude of clerical sexual abuse, and the related cover-up by the Catholic Church. The Church itself has had to make significant changes, addressing past wrongs and implementing safeguarding procedures in order to begin to address the pain caused. Other Christian churches also have recognised historic abuses.During the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions, religious organisations continued to address the legacy of childhood abuse. This report examines the responses to, and discussions around historic abuse and safeguarding, as well as the importance of online safety at a time when most social interaction moved online.