We have been made aware of a deeply regrettable data incident involving the independent Redress Scheme administered by Kennedys Law LLP.

This incident resulted in the unintended disclosure by Kennedys Law of email addresses belonging to individuals who had registered for updates on the Redress Scheme.

First and foremost, our focus is on those affected. We recognise the distress this has caused, particularly for survivors who trusted the scheme to handle their information with care and confidentiality.

While the Church of England is not the data controller for the Redress Scheme and does not hold or manage the data in question, we are nonetheless profoundly concerned. We are in discussions with Kennedys to understand how this breach occurred and to ensure robust steps are taken to prevent anything similar from happening again.

Kennedys has taken full responsibility for the incident and is contacting all those affected directly to apologise and offer support. They have reported the breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office and are investigating the circumstances thoroughly.

This should not have happened. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and support efforts to restore trust and confidence.

Questions or concerns in relation to this data breach can be directed to KennedysDataProtectionOfficer@kennedyslaw.com