THE Archbishop of Canterbury has commissioned an independent review into the way the Church of England responded to sex offence allegations made against a retired bishop 22 years ago.
Peter Ball, 83, formerly Bishop of Gloucester and Bishop of Lewes, pleaded guilty last month to charges of sex abuse involving men from the 1970s-90s.
The claims emerged in 1993 but he was allowed to work in churches until 2010.
Ball will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Wednesday.
Survivors of sexual abuse have been highly critical of the Church’s handling of the case even before Ball pleaded guilty last month.
In 1993, he was issued with a caution for one act of gross indecency rather than put on trial.
His arrest came in 2011 but only after a retired police officer, working in safeguarding for Lambeth Palace, found files relating to the case and passed them on to Sussex Police.
Survivors’ concerns
The Church of England said the review, which will be published next year, will examine its co-operation with the police and other statutory agencies and the extent to which it shared information.
It will also consider whether it properly assessed the possible risk that Ball posed to others and whether it responded adequately to the concerns of survivors.
The Archbishop of Canterbury in 1993, George Carey, now Lord Carey, was aware of the case at the time and has denied interfering in it.
He said last month: “I have seen a number of reports which appear to give the misleading impression that I interfered with the process of justice by contacting the Crown Prosecution Service.
“I only did so after Peter Ball had been cautioned. I wanted to make sure justice had been done.”
Ball, now of Langport in Somerset, was Bishop of Lewes between 1977 and 1992 and Bishop of Gloucester from 1992 until his resignation the following year.
He pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting two victims between 1980 and 1983 and between 1990 and 1991.
He also admitted misconduct in public office by “misusing his position in authority to manipulate and prevail upon others for his own sexual gratification” in relation to 16 men between 1977 and 1992. (BBC News)
Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34440473
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