A complaint against Rev Canon Andrew Cornes under the Church of England’s Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM) has been upheld by a Bishop’s Disciplinary Tribunal.
Rev Canon Andrew Cornes was told in 1982 by a young man that he had been abused by John Smyth, but a Church of England disciplinary tribunal has found he failed to take appropriate action.
The Bishop’s Disciplinary Tribunal found that Canon Cornes, who was then an assistant curate at All Souls’, Langham Place, should have reported the information, made further enquiries, or taken steps to protect others after learning about the abuse.
The tribunal ruled that, although safeguarding procedures were not in place at the time, his decision to take no further action amounted to neglect in the performance of his duties as a priest.
It found the misconduct charge against him proved. A separate decision on sanction has not yet been published.
The complaint was brought by the Church of England’s National Director of Safeguarding, Alexander Kubeyinje, after concerns were raised about Canon Cornes’s response to the disclosure.
The case followed criticism of his actions in the Makin Review, which examined the Church of England’s handling of allegations that John Smyth had abused young men and boys over several decades.
The tribunal accepted that Canon Cornes was an “honest witness” and that he believed the abuse had stopped and that senior figures were dealing with the matter.
However, it concluded that, even by the standards of 1982, he should have taken steps to establish what had happened and to safeguard others.
The Church of England’s Lead Safeguarding Bishop, the Rt Revd Robert Springett, and National Safeguarding Director Alexander Kubeyinje said the tribunal’s decision could not undo the harm experienced by victims and survivors.
In a joint statement, they said the National Safeguarding Team had pursued the complaint because it believed it was the right course of action based on the information available and in line with Church procedures.
They said: "We acknowledge the Tribunal's decision and welcome the outcome while recognising that this judgment cannot undo the harm, pain, and lasting impact experienced by victims and survivors.
“The National Safeguarding Team pursued this matter because we believed it was right to do so based on the information available to us and in line with the relevant policies and procedures for bringing complaints of misconduct.
“This was an important part of responding well and listening to the voices of victims and survivors who had suffered horrendous abuse at the hands of Smyth. We remain committed to advocating for victims and survivors and to seeking accountability where safeguarding concerns are identified.”
