Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, the top cleric in the Scottish Catholic church, offered a “profound apology” to victims of child abuse, as well as for the inadequate investigation and punishment of accused abusers. The announcement came in August after the publication of a report led by Andrew McLellan, former moderator of the General Assembly of the (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland, according to Crux.

The McLellan report made eight recommendations for Scotland’s bishops, including making “support for the survivors of abuse … an absolute priority for the Catholic Church in Scotland.”

Bishop Joseph Toal, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland Catholic Safeguarding Service, said the church “fully accepted” the report’s recommendations, the Catholic Herald (UK) reported.