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Liverpool Diocese says allegation into bishop's misconduct not 'fully investigated'

by Donna Birrell
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Diocese of Liverpool/YouTube

The most senior members of the Diocese of Liverpool are calling for an allegation of misconduct against the Bishop of Liverpool to be "fully investigated".

Six clergy and laity, including the Dean of Liverpool, the Archdeacon of Liverpool and the Archdeacon of St Helens and Warrington, have written a pastoral letter to the diocese in which they say they were "shocked and saddened" by the allegations against Rt Rev Dr John Perumbalath and that they "recognise how difficult this will have been for people to hear".

It follows an investigation by Channel 4 News which reported that a woman had accused Bishop Perumbalath of sexual assault on separate occasions between 2019 and 2023, while he was Bishop of Bradwell in the Diocese of Chelmsford.

A female bishop also alleged that she had been sexually harassed by Bishop Perumbalath.

In a statement, the Church of England said one of the complaints hadn't been brought within the one-year deadline, which is part of Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM) rules. 

The complainant then applied for permission to bring it after the deadline, which the Archbishop of York supported. However, this was refused by an independent judge, the Deputy President of Tribunals.

The pastoral letter says that while "some of the allegations against the Bishop of Liverpool have been investigated and found unsubstantiated by the National Safeguarding Team. We are aware the police in Essex have taken no action with regard to one allegation. However, we understand that an allegation of misconduct was not fully investigated, and we believe that in the interests of justice this should now happen".

It added: "Having listened to clergy, congregations and staff at the diocesan offices and the cathedral, it is with deep regret that the senior leadership of the Diocese of Liverpool feel that the position of the Rt Revd Dr John Perumbalath is currently untenable.

"We believe that the allegations made by the female bishop need to be fully and properly investigated.

"We also believe that while these proper investigations are conducted, the Bishop of Liverpool will need to step aside from all ministry in the Diocese of Liverpool."

The latest developments increase calls for the Church of England to overhaul its disciplinary processes.

Speaking to Premier, the Bishop of Lancaster, Rt Rev Jill Duff said:

"There's a pattern where some of our gatekeepers are not acting in the best interests. So this is a case where the process is letting down victims and sort of quashing conversations coming out.

"Any lawyer or legal advisor to the church, who's saying that some of this misbehaviour is okay and doesn't need to be investigated, should consider their position quite strongly, and I think we need to be much quicker in bringing forward allegations."

Church of England vicar and commentator Peter Ould told Premier:

"I think there are real questions about how we look after victims. The idea that if you are you are sexually abused or harassed and it takes you more than a year to make a complaint, you're not going to have the complaint heard. That's just a nonsense."

Bishop Perumbalath has denied any wrongdoing and in a statement the Church of England said an investigation "concluded that there were no ongoing safeguarding concerns".

The signatories to the letter - Debra Walker, Chair of the House of Laity, Peter Dawkin, Chair of the House of Clergy, Sue Jones, Dean of Liverpool, Pete Spiers, Archdeacon of Knowsley & Sefton, Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, Archdeacon of Liverpool and Simon Fisher, Archdeacon of St Helens and Warrington - said they would now "need to decide how we move forward together as a diocese".

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