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Bishop Of Liverpool Denies Sex Assault Allegations

Updated: 24 hours ago

 

By Stewart Whittingham & Tom Mullen

THE TELEGRAPH

January 29, 2025

 

The Bishop of Liverpool has denied allegations of sexual assault outlined in a Channel 4 News investigation.

 

The Right Reverend Dr John Perumbalath has been accused of assaulting two women, the programme said.

 

It said one woman was allegedly assaulted in the diocese of Chelmsford in Essex, where he was Bishop of Bradwell, on separate occasions between 2019 and 2023. A female bishop also told Channel 4 News she was sexually harassed by him.

 

In a statement, Bishop Perumbalath said he had "consistently denied" the allegations, adding police had investigated them but taken no further action.

 

Channel 4 News said Bishop Perumbalath, who was enthroned Bishop of Liverpool in 2023, was interviewed voluntarily under caution by police in March last year.

 

Bishop Perumbalath said: "The allegations set out in this programme are in relation to encounters that took place in public settings, with other people present.

 

"I have consistently denied the allegations made against me by both complainants.

 

"I have complied with any investigation from the National Safeguarding Team.

 

"The allegations raised in Essex were also investigated by the police who took no further action.

 

"Whilst I don't believe I have done anything wrong, I have taken seriously the lessons learnt through this process addressing how my actions can be perceived by others.

 

"I will comply with any investigation deemed necessary.

 

"I take safeguarding very seriously and work hard to provide proper leadership in this area".

 

'Learning outcome'

 

The Church of England said it had also investigated the complaints, with a complaint of alleged misconduct first made in early in 2023.

 

A spokesperson said the investigation "concluded that there were no ongoing safeguarding concerns, but a learning outcome was identified with which the bishop fully engaged".

 

"The complaint was also investigated by the police which resulted in no further action."

 

The statement continued: "Shortly after the start of this process a further disclosure was made by another woman.

 

"The information brought by the second complainant was explored and assessed not to be a safeguarding matter but a matter of alleged misconduct.

 

"Pastoral support has been provided throughout for the second complainant and is ongoing."

 

Originally from Kerala in South India, Bishop Perumbalath was ordained into the Church of North India in 1994.

 

He moved to the UK in 2001, first taking up positions in the Diocese of Rochester.

 

 

The Times reports here that: One of the women claimed that Perumbalath sexually assaulted her on separate occasions between 2019 and 2023 in the Chelmsford diocese. Her detailed allegations include instances of non-consensual kissing, groping and other inappropriate behaviour, which she reported to senior Church figures, including the Archbishop of York, the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, in 2023.

 

The Archbishop of York is himself facing calls to resign over claims he allowed the Rev Canon David Tudor, a sexual abuser, to continue working

 

The allegations are likely to place further pressure on Cottrell, who is facing calls to resign himself over claims he allowed a sexual abuser to continue working in the church. Allegations of sexual misconduct against the Rev Canon David Tudor were allegedly passed to Cottrell during his time as Bishop of Chelmsford between 2010 and 2020, but Tudor was able to continue serving as a priest in Cottrell’s area. Cottrell has said he did not have the legal power to sack Tudor, who was banned for life from serving as a priest by a church tribunal last year, adding that he suspended him as soon as a new victim came forward to police in 2019.

 

END

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