The Catholic Bishop of Northampton has been charged with two counts of rape against a girl aged under 16.
Staffordshire Police have said charges against Bishop David James Oakley, aged 70, follow his arrest in September last year.
He is due to appear at Cannock Magistrates’ Court on 14 August.
A statement from the Diocese of Northampton stated the charges relate to “non-recent safeguarding allegations”.
“We understand that this will be very distressing for all concerned but cannot comment further on an active legal process.
“If you have any safeguarding concerns, please contact either the diocesan safeguarding team or the police directly. Our Safeguarding Team can be contacted on 01604 723514 /[email protected]”, the statement added.
The Diocese covers Northampton, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire.
