LONDON (Reuters) -The biggest Protestant church in Northern Ireland is under criminal investigation over safeguarding concerns, police said on Monday, after the Presbyterian Church admitted failures in the way it handled cases for over a decade.

Around one in six people in Northern Ireland belong to the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI), one of three main Protestant churches, while 42% identify as Catholic, in a region with a violent sectarian history where religious identity has long been intertwined with politics.

Northern Irish police confirmed the probe in a statement, saying they would investigate all criminal offences and work with statutory partners to ensure victims can access the criminal justice process and perpetrators are held to account.

The Church said on Sunday that be

See Full Page