THE Archbishop of York has defended his record on safeguarding, after he was called on this week to resign over his handling of a case by which a priest in his former diocese was accused of kid sexual abuse.
On Monday morning, the BBC released online on BBC Sounds a File on 4 investigation (to be broadcast on Radio 4 Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning) of the actions taken against David Tudor, who was Team Rector of Canvey Island, in Chelmsford diocese, when Archbishop Cottrell was the diocesan bishop.
In 1989, Mr Tudor was banned for ministry for five years for sexual misconduct, but returned to ministry within the diocese of Southwark in 1993.
He was suspended again in 2005 while police investigated further allegations, but no charges ensued, and he returned to ministry. From 2008, nevertheless, he was subject to church safeguarding restrictions that prevented his being alone with a toddler and entering schools in Essex.
Mr Tudor was arrested again in 2019, at which point he was suspended by Archbishop Cottrell. The police investigation concluded without the bringing of any charge (News, 19 August 2022). In October, nevertheless, Mr Tudor (then Canon) was prohibited from ministry for all times (News, 15 November).
In a press release, Archbishop Cottrell said that, until 2019, “there have been no legal grounds to take alternative motion” — a situation that, he said, was “horrible and intolerable — most of all for the survivors”.
He said that he had suspended Mr Tudor “at the primary opportunity”. “It was impossible to remove David Tudor from office until such time as fresh complaints were made, which happened when a victim bravely spoke to the police. Once this happened in 2019, I acted immediately.
“I suspended David Tudor from all ministry pending the investigation and subsequent tribunal hearing by which he was faraway from office and prohibited from ministry for all times,” Archbishop Cottrell said.
He criticised any implication in news coverage that no motion had been taken against Mr Tudor, or that this was a case of “an abuser being ignored of even protected”.
“Actually, nothing might be farther from the reality. And to present it this manner only re-traumatises already hurt people,” he said.
Earlier on Monday, the Bishop of Newcastle, Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, said that Archbishop Cottrell must have done more to remove Mr Tudor. She called on the Archbishop to resign, saying that it was “inconceivable” to have faith in him to drive change in safeguarding
Speaking on Radio 4’s Today on Monday morning, Dr Hartley suggested that, were she in Archbishop Cottrell’s shoes, she would have found a method to remove Mr Tudor, even when it had meant being sued for unfair dismissal.
“Surely that’s a risk value taking, since it’s morally and ethically the best thing to do to maintain people secure,” she said.
Dr Hartley said that the handling of Mr Tudor’s case meant that Archbishop Cottrell didn’t have the “credibility or moral authority” to act as sole Primate when the Archbishop of Canterbury steps down (News, 5 December).
The case “calls into query his ability to guide on the urgent change that’s required in safeguarding, each operationally and culturally, within the Church of England”, she said.
In a press release, a Church House spokesperson said that Mr Tudor had committed “appalling abuse”, and praised the courage of survivors coming forward.
The BBC, the spokesperson said, had revealed “a list of past safeguarding decisions, that allowed someone who was considered a risk within the Eighties to return to ministry within the Nineties. This should never have happened.”
