Church of England Unfair to Dead Bishop, Abuse Inquiry Finds
- 6 years ago
Church of England Unfair to Dead Bishop, Abuse Inquiry Finds
But, while he had concluded the Church of England figures charged with investigating the accusations had "acted throughout in good faith," their inquiries had been "deficient
in a number of respects." "It is axiomatic that, in appropriate cases, the church should be ready to acknowledge sexual abuse committed by the clergy," he said.
15, 2017
LONDON — At a time of a sharpening global focus on cases of sexual abuse dating back decades, an authoritative
and highly critical report accused the Church of England on Friday of failing to respect "the rights of both sides" in investigating allegations made long after his death against one of its most revered bishops.
Church of England figures rejected one part of Lord Carlile’s report, which urged
that the names of those accused of abuse should in some circumstances be kept secret unless there are "adverse findings of fact" and "it has also been decided that making the identity public is required in the public interest." The Most Rev.
But after the allegations surfaced, the report said, Mr. Bell was "treated as having been guilty." In 2016, the Church of England asked Lord Carlile, a lawyer
and former adviser to the government on terrorism legislation, to review the case.
Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, who is the leader of the Church of England and the spiritual head of the broader Anglican Communion, disputed the case for confidentiality, saying the church was "committed to transparency and therefore we would take a different approach." But, referring to the processes by which Mr. Bell’s case was investigated, he said in a statement: "We accept
that improvement is necessary, in all cases including those where the person complained about is dead.
The case, involving Bishop George Bell and accusations
that he abused a young girl in the 1940s and 1950s, raised tangled questions about the rights and reputations of people who have died and are thus unable to defend themselves against abuse charges.
that chosen by God as a special
But, while he had concluded the Church of England figures charged with investigating the accusations had "acted throughout in good faith," their inquiries had been "deficient
in a number of respects." "It is axiomatic that, in appropriate cases, the church should be ready to acknowledge sexual abuse committed by the clergy," he said.
15, 2017
LONDON — At a time of a sharpening global focus on cases of sexual abuse dating back decades, an authoritative
and highly critical report accused the Church of England on Friday of failing to respect "the rights of both sides" in investigating allegations made long after his death against one of its most revered bishops.
Church of England figures rejected one part of Lord Carlile’s report, which urged
that the names of those accused of abuse should in some circumstances be kept secret unless there are "adverse findings of fact" and "it has also been decided that making the identity public is required in the public interest." The Most Rev.
But after the allegations surfaced, the report said, Mr. Bell was "treated as having been guilty." In 2016, the Church of England asked Lord Carlile, a lawyer
and former adviser to the government on terrorism legislation, to review the case.
Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, who is the leader of the Church of England and the spiritual head of the broader Anglican Communion, disputed the case for confidentiality, saying the church was "committed to transparency and therefore we would take a different approach." But, referring to the processes by which Mr. Bell’s case was investigated, he said in a statement: "We accept
that improvement is necessary, in all cases including those where the person complained about is dead.
The case, involving Bishop George Bell and accusations
that he abused a young girl in the 1940s and 1950s, raised tangled questions about the rights and reputations of people who have died and are thus unable to defend themselves against abuse charges.
that chosen by God as a special