From Mr Charles Mills Sir, I have read with personal interest both Simon Caldwell's admirable and courageous article of July 2nd and subsequent correspondence. I am left with no doubt that the Catholic Church in England and Wales is presiding over what will emerge eventually as the greatest injustice in the social history of the 20th century!
None of us who have worked within the welfare services of the Catholic Church can deny that some children have been abused during their time "in care" but the scale of malicious and unfounded allegations has now reached an epidemic scale so out of control that the description of "witch-hunt" no longer seems inappropriate. No more is this so than within the Archdiocese of Liverpool where the current police operation claims that 50 convictions are expected from one institution alone! The overwhelming majority of informed observers would have grave concerns about the validity of the allegations but depressingly concede that prejudiced public opinion rather than rationality and convincing evidence informs judicial direction and jury verdicts.
Surely it is now the time when the rhetoric of justice and truth, so often extolled by our Church, should "bite at home" rather than simply be focused within the comfortable distance of the admittedly justified awareness of issues in the Third World. Bishop Vincent Nichols, in the Westminster archdiocese, has shown admirable and brave concern for both the accused and accusers in this desperately unjust situation and were others to follow his courageous example then such rhetoric might not seem so empty.
Yours faithfully, CHARLES MILLS, Formby, Lancashire.