The David Tudor Safeguarding Practice Review (SPR) was commissioned in 2025 to examine the lessons that can be learned from the Church’s handling of the case (background here) with the aim of strengthening safeguarding practice and improving outcomes for victims and survivors.
A draft of the report is now in the final stages of legal due diligence, which will include a right of reply process for all contributors. This is an important part of ensuring the review is fair, thorough and robust.
The independent reviewers regularly update the members of the David Tudor Safeguarding Practice Review Group (SPRG), which was convened to manage the progress of the review. There is also ongoing contact with the police, who requested a temporary pause to the review last year following the emergence of new information. Throughout this process, particular attention is being given to keeping victims and survivors informed so that they understand both the progress of the review and the reasons for any delays.
At their most recent meeting, SPRG members acknowledged the importance of providing timely clarity to victims and survivors. Given the continuing legal process and ongoing police investigation, members agreed to communicate at this stage that the final version of the review is not expected to be ready for publication until early 2027.
The SPRG recognise that publication of the full report will need to be considerate of the status of the current police investigation and whether it would risk jeopardising any judicial processes. Understanding that this would significantly impact the survivors of David Tudors abuse, should further delays be requested by the police then the SPRG will seek authority to publish an executive summary. A decision on this will be made nearer publication.
Throughout this process, the SPRG have remained committed to supporting victims and survivors, recognising the impact that delays and uncertainty can have, and ensuring they are kept informed about publication plans and next steps.
The full SPR guidance can be found here Safeguarding Practice Reviews | The Church of England