The Church of England has admitted to a serious data breach that exposed the personal details of nearly 200 abuse survivors.

An email containing the names and details of 194 survivors was mistakenly circulated to individuals registered with the Church of England's redress scheme , as well as law firms and Church officials. The email, sent by Kennedys Law – the firm managing the scheme – was recalled minutes later, but the breach has already caused severe distress for those affected.

The redress scheme was designed to offer survivors recognition, compensation and support. Instead, this incident has undermined trust and retraumatised many who had come forward.

How have survivors been affected by the breach?

For survivors, confidentiality is not just a matter of privacy – it is a legal right and a vital safeguard when speaking about past abuse. Many have already gone through police investigations, criminal trials, or difficult complaints processes, and their anonymity is protected by law.

One of our clients at Switalskis has lodged a formal complaint following the breach. She has expressed deep concern that her right to lifelong anonymity has been compromised without her consent, describing the incident as retraumatising and a complete breakdown in professionalism and confidentiality. For her, and for many survivors, the impact has been not only distressing but also a profound breach of trust in a system that was meant to provide protection and support.

David Greenwood , solicitor and head of child abuse compensation at Switalskis said:

“I find it shocking to see so little care being taken with survivors’ details. It’s tough enough to talk about one’s abuse, and to have the redress scheme share your details to many others is a gross breach of trust and confidentiality. I hope the redress scheme will apologise swiftly and pay a good amount of compensation immediately to everyone named in the e mail.”

What has the Church of England said?

The Church has described the incident, as reported in Reuters , as a “deeply regrettable data breach” and said it recognises the distress caused. Kennedys Law accepted full responsibility, apologised, and confirmed that it has launched an internal investigation.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s privacy regulator, is assessing the breach and may take further action.

How Switalskis can help survivors of Church of England abuse

At Switalskis, we have been at the forefront of holding the Church of England accountable for abuse and safeguarding failures. We continue to represent survivors across the country, supporting them through the redress process and helping them secure justice through the courts where appropriate.

We understand how retraumatising this latest breach is for survivors. Our team provides sensitive, confidential, and expert legal advice at every step.

If you have been affected by abuse in the Church of England , or if your details were included in this recent data breach, please contact our specialist child abuse solicitors in confidence.

Call 0800 138 0458 or email help@switalskis.com