Safer Pagan Spaces Pledge

The Safer Pagan Spaces Pledge is a voluntary commitment by Pagan and Heathen
organisations to strengthen safeguarding practice, increase confidence in responding to
harm, and support safer religious and community spaces. It has been developed in
partnership with the Police Pagan Association (PPA) as part of wider work to support
communities, improve understanding within policing, and contribute to national efforts to
prevent harm, including violence against women and girls (VAWG).

No. Signing the Safer Pagan Spaces Pledge is not a legal or statutory obligation, and it does
not create any new legal duties. The pledge sits alongside existing UK safeguarding law and
guidance, which focuses on children and adults at risk. The reference to VAWG reflects a
national prevention and policy framework used across policing and safeguarding, rather
than a standalone legal requirement for organisations to adopt a specific safeguarding
category relating to women and girls.

No. The Police Pagan Association does not expect or recommend the creation of separate
safeguarding policies for women and girls. Creating additional or parallel policies can risk
confusing what safeguarding legally means, duplicating processes, and creating unclear or
inconsistent reporting routes. A single, clear safeguarding policy that is proportionate to an
organisation’s activities and covers children and adults at risk is both appropriate and
preferable. Where relevant, organisations may choose to review and update their existing
policy to better reflect issues such as harassment, consent, power dynamics, leadership
responsibilities, and the risks associated with events, online spaces, or community activities.

Organisations without a safeguarding policy are still welcome to sign the pledge. In these
circumstances, organisations agree to work with the Police Pagan Association to develop
and implement an appropriate safeguarding policy within three months of signing. Support
and guidance will be offered throughout this process to ensure the policy is proportionate,
practical, and suitable for the organisation’s structure and activities.

In this context, supporting those affected by abuse means listening respectfully, responding
appropriately, taking concerns seriously, and knowing when and how to signpost individuals
to specialist or statutory services. It does not mean providing therapy, case management, or
legal advocacy unless the organisation is already structured and resourced to do so.

By strengthening safeguarding confidence and clarity within Pagan and Heathen
communities, the pledge helps reduce barriers to reporting, encourages early intervention,
and promotes cultures of consent and accountability. This contributes to the prevention of
harm, including violence against women and girls, without creating unrealistic expectations
or new legal obligations. It allows communities to play a meaningful role alongside national
policing priorities.

The Police Pagan Association offers cultural understanding of Pagan and Heathen
communities alongside insight into policing and safeguarding expectations. It acts as a
bridge between communities and statutory systems, providing support that is preventative,
collaborative, and respectful. The partnership approach is designed to build trust,
confidence, and shared responsibility, rather than surveillance or enforcement.

This work has been developed in response to a growing body of evidence and lived
experience within Pagan and Heathen communities. In recent years, the Police Pagan
Association has been involved in, or has supported policing around, a number of high-profile
cases of sexual abuse within Pagan contexts, as well as assisting several police forces with
ongoing investigations. In each of these cases, the reports were made by women in relation
to sexual misconduct or abuse occurring within Pagan groups or organisations.
In some instances, organisations had no safeguarding policies in place at all. In others,
safeguarding policies existed but were not adhered to, understood, or applied in practice.
This resulted in women feeling unsafe in ritual and community spaces, and in some cases
led them to become solitary practitioners or to step away from Paganism altogether.
Feedback shared with the Police Pagan Association by those affected highlighted consistent
themes. Many described feeling ostracised after raising concerns, not being believed, or
experiencing gaslighting by individuals in positions of authority within the groups where the
alleged abuse occurred. These experiences underscore the importance of not only having
safeguarding policies, but ensuring leaders feel confident in using them, understand their
responsibilities, and create cultures where concerns can be raised safely and taken
seriously.
This pledge and the wider partnership work are intended to address these issues
proactively. By strengthening safeguarding confidence, clarifying expectations, and
supporting leadership accountability, the aim is to help prevent harm, improve responses
when concerns arise, and reduce the likelihood that people are pushed out of their faith
communities as a result of unsafe practices or failures of care.

No. The pledge does not replace, expand, or override an organisation’s existing statutory
safeguarding responsibilities. Instead, it supports organisations to feel more confident in
using the safeguarding policies they already have, to review whether those policies remain
proportionate to their activities, and to share good practice with others. It also encourages
organisations to think carefully about how safeguarding principles apply within Pagan and
Heathen religious contexts.

If an organisation already has a safeguarding policy that is appropriate to its activities, such
as distance learning, online engagement, community interaction, or public events, this is
sufficient. The pledge encourages organisations to review their policies periodically, ensure
reporting procedures are clear and accessible, and publish safeguarding information
transparently where appropriate. It is about confidence and clarity in practice, rather than
introducing additional layers of policy.

No. The pledge is a commitment to taking reasonable and proportionate steps to prevent
and respond to harm, not a promise of outcomes. It recognises that no organisation can
eliminate all risk, but that leadership has a responsibility to take safeguarding seriously, act
appropriately when concerns arise, create safer environments, and know when and how to
escalate or signpost concerns. It does not imply responsibility for providing counselling,
advocacy, or statutory interventions unless this already forms part of an organisation’s role.

The pledge recognises that leadership within Pagan and Heathen communities carries
particular responsibilities. Good faith leadership involves creating safer containers for ritual,
magic, and spiritual practice, promoting informed consent, and being mindful of power,
influence, and vulnerability. Faith leadership is more than a symbolic or administrative role;
it is a sacred responsibility to care for community wellbeing, pastoral care and to hold space
in ways that reduce harm and acknowledges someone’s faith is often part of their recovery.

The pledge is intended for Pagan and Heathen organisations that hold leadership,
governance, or community responsibility, particularly those running events, gatherings,
teaching programmes, or online spaces. It is not aimed at individuals or informal private
practice.