The Bishop of Oxford and the Archbishop of York have both rejected claims that they bullied members of the Crown Nominations Committee to secure the appointment of the Rt Rev Dr John Perumbalath as Bishop of Liverpool.

Bishop John recently decided to retire following allegations of sexual assault and harassment, although he did not admit any wrongdoing. Instead, he said that his resignation was intended to prevent the issue from becoming "a distraction".

His retirement followed a Channel 4 News report detailing accusations from two women. One woman claimed the bishop kissed her without consent and groped her, while the other accused him of sexual harassment.

The second accuser identified herself as the Bishop of Warrington, Rt Revd Beverley Mason.

Channel 4 News also revealed the account of a committee member who attended a 2022 meeting to discuss the Bishop of Liverpool's appointment. The individual alleged that the Archbishop of York, Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, and the Bishop of Oxford, Rt Rev Steven Croft, pressured other committee members to alter their votes despite concerns over safeguarding regarding Bishop Perumbalath.

In response, the Bishop of Oxford denied being aware of any safeguarding concerns prior to the Crown Nominations Committee (CNC) meeting. He said: "I am very sorry to learn of the distress of those who have made the allegations against Bishop John Perumbalath."

He continued: "However, I completely refute the suggestion that anyone coerced or bullied other members of the CNC during the process to appoint the Bishop of Liverpool in 2022. All ballots during the CNC process are secret, so no one person is able to exert pressure on a colleague to change their vote. Every CNC involves signed confidentiality agreements and often multiple votes."

"I was not aware of any safeguarding concerns about Bishop John Perumbalath prior to the CNC meeting. I understand these were not raised until January 2023, six months after his nomination."

A spokesperson for the Archbishop of York, who himself has faced calls for resignation over separate alleged safeguarding failures, stated: "The Archbishop of York and Bishop of Oxford categorically reject any suggestion of coercion or bullying during a Crown Nominations Commission."