John Scott QC, representing In Care Abuse Survivors (Incas), said the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul had shown a “sceptical attitude” amid claims of historical abuses at Smyllum Park orphanage in Lanark.

While he accused the order of being more interested in its previous “good name”, the Daughters of Charity later insisted their apology was “unqualified and unequivocal”.

The statements came as Scotland’s Child Abuse Inquiry heard some of the practices alleged to have taken place “might well amount to a crime in Scots law”, if proven.

Inquiry chair Lady Smith heard submissions in Edinburgh on Tuesday from core participants to the probe after 20 days of evidence about institutions run by the order, namely Smyllum and Bellevue House in Rutherglen.

Almost 50 former residents have testified about mistreatment they say they suffered at the hands of nuns and staff, particularly at Smyllum, which closed in 1981.

The Daughters of Charity has previously issued written and verbal statements to the inquiry and the probe has also heard apologies from senior figures now in charge of the order.

However, Mr Scott told Lady Smith: “Unfortunately it seems to many survivors that they have not been heard by the Daughters of Charity whose sceptical attitude continues to pervade their official response.”

He said he had no doubt the upset of the senior nuns was genuine but…

The prime minister’s visit to China from 31st January to 2nd February comes as new restrictions on churches are due to come into force this week. The rules will impact those which aren’t registered with the Government.

Andre Boyd with Release International told Premier persecution against Christians in the country has become dire.

“The government wants all churches to be registered, by that, they want to control them. They want to control the appointment of pastors; they want to control what these churches will teach,” he said.

“In all conscience some Christians simply can’t do that. Christians who are not part of the official system under the government control are being branded as evil cults.”

In Yunnan Province, six members of an unregistered church group were sentenced to up to 13 years in prison for ‘using an evil cult to organize to undermine law enforcement’ this month.

Also this month, Chinese authorities in Shanxi Province demolished the 50,000-member Golden Lampstand (Jindengtai) Church using dynamite, and two pastors in Guizhou, one of whom is in prison, were fined over $1 million for collecting ‘illegal’ donations from members of the congregation.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said while talks about expanding trade are important, they shouldn’t come at the expense of challenging Chinese leaders on their treatment of…

The Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team said it received fresh information concerning the former Bishop of Chichester, who died 60 years ago.

The new information, which has not been disclosed to the public, comes after the publication of the Carlile Review, which found the Church was too quick to accept the allegations of the Bishop Bell’s complainant “without serious investigation or inquiry”.

The Church of England said the new information “is now being considered through the Core Group and in accordance with Lord Carlile’s recommendations”.

The Church added: “The Core Group is now in the process of commissioning an independent investigation in respect of these latest developments.”

Sussex Police have been notified about the new development and the Church said it will work collaboratively with them.

Claims made by a woman known only as “Carol” of abuse by Bishop Bell when she was aged between five and eight in the 1950s led the Church to issue an apology and pay £15,000 in compensation.

However, the inquiry was widely criticised for failing to investigate the victim’s claims or seek witnesses who had known or worked for Bishop Bell during his tenure as Bishop of Chichester between 1929 and 1958.

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