Attacking priest’s case could have been handled differently – Archbishop of York

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said things “could have been handled differently” after an investigation found a priest at the center of a sex abuse case was twice reappointed to a senior position while the Archbishop was Bishop of Chelmsford.

Mr Cottrell, the second most senior bishop in the Church of England, has faced calls to resign over his handling of the case of David Tudor, who was banned from the ministry for life this year after admitting what the Church of England described as serious sexual abuse involving two girls aged 15 and 16.

Decades earlier, Tudor was suspended from his ministry for five years in 1988 after admitting, according to a court document, to having sex with a 16-year-old girl he met while she was student in a school where he was chaplain.

But he was then able to return to work in the Church in 1994.

The archbishop said he “acted immediately” within the authority he had regarding the matter, and that it was “not possible” to remove the priest from office until that new complaints be filed against him in 2019.

Mr Cottrell said he was faced with a “horrible and intolerable” situation when he became Bishop of Chelmsford, after being informed of the situation in 2010.

However, according to a new BBC investigation, Tudor’s contract as Essex regional dean was renewed in 2013 and 2018.

A spokesperson for Mr Cottrell told the BBC that the archbishop “recognizes that this could have been handled differently”.

They also said that “all risks around David Tudor were regularly reviewed” and that this was the “primary focus”.

In a statement following a previous BBC investigative report, Mr Cottrell said: “I am deeply sorry that we could not act sooner, but this is the situation I have inherited.

“It is extremely disappointing that this story is being reported as if it was an abuser who was ignored or even protected.

“In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Presenting things this way only re-traumatizes people who have already hurt.

“The situation with David Tudor was a horrible situation to live through and deal with and caused many people to suffer.

“I want victims and survivors to know that everything has been done to understand, assess and manage the risk. I also want them to know that I fully welcome the outcome of the tribunal in October 2024.”

He said he had worked with the Diocese of Chelmsford’s safeguarding team from 2010 “to ensure the risk was managed”, having had “no legal basis” to suspend Tudor before 2019.

He recognized the courage of victims who had “bravely come forward and shared their stories from the 1980s” as well as a survivor who “bravely spoke to police” for the new complaint in 2019.

But a bishop said it was “impossible” for Mr Cottrell to remain Archbishop of York or lead the Church of England.

The Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, said the Tudor affair “calls into question his (Stephen Cottrell’s) ability to lead the urgently needed change in safeguarding, both operationally and culturally” in the ‘Church.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that, if she had been in Mr Cottrell’s place in 2010, “I think I would have had a thorough conversation with shielding advice in the room about how to find a way to deal with this situation.

She said: “This individual should not be holding public office. You find the options. You keep people safe. You think of the survivors.

“The risk for the bishop could have been that he would be prosecuted for some sort of disguised or unfair dismissal, but that is surely a risk worth taking because it is morally and ethically the right thing what to do to ensure people’s safety?

A woman to whom Tudor paid compensation for allegedly abusing her as a child told the BBC that Mr Cottrell’s inaction when informed of the payment meant he would have to “leave the ‘Church “.

Appearing to reject calls to resign over the affair, Mr Cottrell promised he would “do everything I can” to bring about an independent review into safeguarding the Church.

He said: “The Church of England now needs an independent review of safeguarding so that those with understandable frustrations and concerns can make their voices heard and those of us who have a responsibility to manage these situations can be helped to avoid and resolve them.

“I have publicly supported this for many years. I am committed to doing everything I can to achieve this.

Mr Cottrell is expected to temporarily take over many of the official duties of the soon-to-be-retiring Archbishop of Canterbury from January 6, when Justin Welby resigns over failures in handling another abuse case sexual in the Church.

Mr Welby announced last month that he would resign, after initially refusing to do so, following the Makin report which concluded that John Smyth – the most prolific serial abuser associated with the Church – may have been brought to justice if Mr Welby had formally reported him to the police in 2013.