The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, is facing mounting pressure to resign over his handling of a sexual abuse case, just days before he is set to take temporary charge of the Church of England. A BBC investigation has revealed that Cottrell, as Bishop of Chelmsford, allowed priest David Tudor to remain in post despite knowing he had been barred from being alone with children and had paid compensation to a sexual abuse victim.
Tudor was only banned from ministry two months ago, after admitting historical sex abuse allegations relating to two girls. The Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, has called for Cottrell’s resignation, stating that his failure to act on the case “completely undermines his credibility” and that he “should have done more”.
A woman who was paid £10,000 compensation by Tudor over claims he sexually abused her as a child has also spoken out, saying that Cottrell’s failure to act means he should “leave the Church”. “I feel like he has spat in my face,” she said.
The case has raised questions about the Church of England’s handling of abuse allegations and its failure to protect victims. The Church’s deputy lead bishop for safeguarding, Julie Conalty, has expressed bafflement at how Tudor was allowed to remain a licensed priest, despite his history of abuse.
Cottrell has apologized for his handling of the case, stating that he is “deeply sorry” that action could not be taken earlier. However, he has maintained that he was guided by legal advice and that there were no grounds to take disciplinary action against Tudor until 2019.
The case has also implicated other senior figures in the Church of England, including former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey and current Archbishop Justin Welby. Carey has denied remembering Tudor’s name, despite agreeing to allow him to return to ministry in the 1990s.
The Church of England has acknowledged that its handling of the case was inadequate and has pledged to take steps to improve its safeguarding procedures. However, for victims of Tudor’s abuse, the damage has already been done. “He should never have been let back into the Church in the first place,” one victim said.
