UNITED KINGDOM
Christian Today
Ruth Gledhill CHRISTIAN TODAY CONTRIBUTING EDITOR 23 January
A traditionalist diocese in the Church of England has defended its actions in exposing a long-dead and highly respected bishop as a paedophile.
The Diocese of Chichester says in a document on its website that there is no doubt that Bishop George Bell achieved many great things during his lifetime, for which he is rightly honoured and should continue to be remembered.
“But any suggestion that those who have done good deeds should be afforded an extra degree of protection from serious allegations cannot be upheld,” writes diocesan secretary Gabrielle Higgins. “This is fundamentally wrong.”
She argues that it is this position that has led many institutions, including the Church, to respond to allegations of sexual abuse so poorly in the past. “We cannot – and will not – allow this to continue in the 21st century. All allegations of abuse must be taken seriously and dealt with sensitively and professionally; we must never demand a higher threshold of suspicion because the accused person is of high standing, or has an ‘impeccable’ reputation, however uncomfortable this may make us feel.”
The diocese has been publicly criticised for its revelations about a bishop who was widely revered and regarded as incorruptibly holy, without revealing the evidence of the crimes he was alleged to have committed or allowing a defence to be mounted.
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