The Catholic Church in Scotland is ignoring recommendations made in a report into allegations of abuse, according to the report's author.

A commission led by the Very Rev Andrew McLellan made a raft of recommendations in August last year, including that justice must be done for those who have been abused.

It also insisted the Church's safeguarding policies and practices are rewritten and subject to external scrutiny.

But in a letter sent to the Bishops' Conference, Dr McLellan said the bishops are "appearing to ignore" the recommendations of the report.

He said he believes the recommendation to put survivors first and introduce an independent element into safeguarding within the church has not happened.

Dr McLellan also suggested it appears the recommendation to be transparent and open in safeguarding has not been met.

He wrote: "A year ago, the bishops might have used the opportunity of the publication of the report to introduce systemic reform.

"Now they are in danger of confirming the worst fears of survivors and observers by appearing to ignore its recommendations.

"The one response the bishops must not make now is to say that things are being done 'behind the scenes'.

"That response would reveal that they have not understood the problem."

The assistant general-secretary of the Bishops' Conference has rejected claims that the recommendations are not being implemented.

Father Tom Boyle said: "Last August the Bishops' Conference welcomed the McLellan Commission Report and accepted its recommendations in full, undertaking to implement them all.

"This commitment has not diminished in any way, every recommendation will be implemented."

He said three months after the publication of the report, the bishops published a detailed implementation plan, describing how all of the recommendations would be acted upon.

The plan was posted online and open to consultation and comment.

An independent review group as recommended by the commission is also being established, he said.

Father Boyle said: "Transparency and openness are at the heart of the Church's safeguarding mission.

"We do not believe any other Church, charity or public body in Scotland publishes detailed annual audits nor have any undertaken a public consultation, as the Bishops' Conference did on its implementation plan.

"In releasing his report last year, Dr McLellan described the bishops' decision to ask a minister of the Church of Scotland to carry out this review as demonstrating 'ecumenical trust' and 'generosity of spirit'.

"Since the church allowed Dr McLellan two years to write his recommendations without comment, it is to be hoped that in the same spirit of trust and generosity of spirit, the Church will be given at least the same amount of time to implement them."

Survivors of abuse criticised the delays and said the church has failed to involve them in the process.

A statement from In Care Abuse Survivors (Incas) said: "We have made frequent requests to be involved in the various implementation groups, without success.

"The Church promised to undertake an internal audit of all allegations from 1947 to 2012 and to publish the report in the autumn of 2015. We still await its publication.

"The report will lack any sort of external scrutiny and will not indicate any of the failings of bishops, nor will it name any of the alleged offenders.

"The bishops should make public any credible allegation made against a member of the clergy or religious orders.

"The people should be named to allow other victims to come forward. The protection of children demands that the church begins to be open and transparent."

It added: "We find it hard to believe that the autonomy of religious orders absolves bishops and all their officials from responsibility.

"They had to know what was going on and turned a blind eye to human misery being increased by those who were ostensibly setting out to diminish the sufferings of these damaged and vulnerable children.

"They cannot wash their hands and claim innocence. These are crimes that scream in pain to heaven for justice not just to the legal courts here.

"They need to expiate their sins of omission, just as the rest of us need to, but they need to do something personal and concrete to help the victims they did not acknowledge before and retire from office as incompetent to govern.

"The hypocrisy of the institution is particularly abhorrent in the Church."