View source for Anglican Communion sexual abuse cases

{{Short description|Series of investigations into crimes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
Several allegations of [[child sexual abuse]] have been made against [[clergy]], members of [[religious order]]s and [[lay member]]s of the [[Anglican Communion]] for events dating as far back as the 1960s. In many cases, these allegations have resulted in investigations, trials, and convictions.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/3152725/anglican-church-failed-abuse-victims-bishop-greg-thompson/|title=Anglican church failed abuse victims: Bishop Greg Thompson|last=Gordon|first=Jason|date=17 June 2015|publisher=Fairfax Media|newspaper=[[The Newcastle Herald]]|access-date=12 June 2016}}</ref>
==Anglican Church of Australia==
A 2013 study in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], [[Australia]], found that Anglican child sex abuse cases were one-tenth the number of [[Catholic Church sexual abuse cases]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2013/10/25/3877103.htm|title=Child sexual abuse and the churches: A story of moral failure?|last=Parkinson|first=Patrick|date=23 October 2013|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|department=Opinion|agency=[[ABC (Australia)|ABC]]|access-date=12 June 2016}}</ref>
However, a 2016 investigation found cases of child abuse in the [[Anglican Church of Australia]], formerly known as the Church of England in Australia. During 27 January to 5 February 2016, the Australian [[Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse]] held public hearings. They centred on the Church of England Boys' Society (CEBS) and scrutinised the Anglican dioceses of [[Diocese of Tasmania|Tasmania]], [[Anglican Diocese of Adelaide|Adelaide]], [[Anglican Diocese of Sydney|Sydney]], and [[Anglican Diocese of Brisbane|Brisbane]] regarding "their responses to allegations of child sexual abuse" connected with CEBS. The royal commission examined "the systems and policies within the CEBS and the four Anglican dioceses, in relation to youth camps and activities, and raising and responding to concerns and complaints about child sexual abuse".<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-27/royal-commission-focus-on-anglican-group-in-hobart-hearings/7115538 "Royal commission into child sexual abuse to focus on Church of England Boys' Society (26 Jan 2016)"], Retrieved 20 June 2016.</ref>
Regarding the Diocese of Brisbane and CEBS in that diocese, the royal commission interviewed a person (who cannot be named for legal reasons) who "complained of repeated sexual abuse" when he was "associated with the Church of England Boys Society". He also said that he had taken his complaint to [[Peter Hollingworth]], former Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane, in August 1993. When Hollingworth was interviewed, he admitted his handling of the matter was poor. "After a great deal of consideration over the past 22 years I acknowledge unreservedly that my actions were misguided, wrong and a serious error of judgment and that I genuinely regret it", he said.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/feb/03/peter-hollingworth-apologises-for-poor-handling-of-sex-abuse-complaint "Former Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane Apologizes"], Retrieved 21 June 2016.</ref> Hollingworth was also questioned about "his handling of abuse claims at [[St Paul's School, Bald Hills|St Paul's School]] while he was Archbishop between 1989 and 2001". Hollingworth said he was sorry for the boys who were molested by the teachers.
"I am appalled by the abuse you suffered at the hands of two school staff members from St Paul's School," he said.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-13/peter-hollingworth-says-sorry-to-victims-child-abuse-brisbane/6939804 "Former Anglican Archbishop Apologises to Victims"], Retrieved June 2, 2016.</ref>
A 2019 investigation into the activities of CEBS activities in the Sutherland Shire of Sydney between the late 1960s until 2013, also in relation to youth camps named "Rathane" as well as "Chaldercot" and "Deer Park" located in the Royal National Park facilities of the Anglican Church in the Port Hacking River region resulted in the arrest and conviction of a leader of the Church of England Boys Society.<ref>[https://www.theleader.com.au/story/6246686/church-leader-jailed-over-historical-child-sexual-assaults/?cs=13060 "Former Church of England Boys' Society lay leader at Sutherland jailed for sexual assaults on boys over 20-year period"], Retrieved June 29, 2019.</ref>
==Anglican Church of Canada==
In 2015 an apology was issued jointly by the [[Anglican Church of Canada]] dioceses of [[Anglican Diocese of New Westminster|New Westminster]] and [[Anglican Diocese of Calgary|Calgary]] for failing to report to the police in 1994 a written confession of child sexual abuse by priest [[Gordon Goichi Nakayama]].<ref name="Anglican Church of Canada">{{cite web |last1=Swift |first1=Diana |title=Bishops apologize for Japanese-Canadian priest's abuse |url=https://www.anglicanjournal.com/bishops-apologize-for-japanese-canadian-priest-s-abuse |website=Anglican Journal |date=17 June 2015 |publisher=Anglican Church of Canada |access-date=9 July 2020}}</ref> Nakayama abused over 300 children, mostly boys aged 3–20, over the course of 62 years of ministry. Nakayama died in 1995, a year after being charged with [[immorality]] by the Bishop of [[Anglican Diocese of Calgary|Calgary]] [[Barry Curtis (bishop)|Barry Curtis]] and resigning from his position as priest.<ref name="Anglican Church of Canada"/> Nakayama's abuse has been the subject of two books by HIS DAUGHTER, notable Canadian author [[Joy Kogawa]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kogawa |first1=Joy |title=The Rain Ascends |date=1995 |publisher=Vintage Canada |location=Toronto}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Kogawa |first1=Joy |title=Gently to Nagasaki |date=2016 |publisher=Caitlin Press |location=Vancouver}}</ref> In 2021 the Anglican Church of Canada and the National Association of Japanese Canadians jointly announced the establishment of a $610,000 healing fund to be used to address the legacy of Nakayama's sexual abuse.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Healing Support for Japanese Canadians|journal=The Bulletin/Geppo|date=31 March 2021 |url=https://issuu.com/bulletin.geppo/docs/bulletin.geppo.april.2021|volume=April 2021|pages=24}}</ref>
==Church of England and Church in Wales==
There have been many cases of sexual abuse within the [[Church of England#Sex abuse|Church of England]] and the [[Church in Wales]].<ref name="IICSA 2020">{{cite web |url=https://www.iicsa.org.uk/publications/investigation/anglican-church |title=The Anglican Church Investigation Report |last1=Jay |first1=Alexis |last2=Evans |first2=Malcolm |last3=Frank |first3=Ivor |last4=Sharpling |first4=Drusilla |date=October 2020 |website=iicsa.org.uk |publisher=[[Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse|Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA)]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009100138/https://www.iicsa.org.uk/publications/investigation/anglican-church |archive-date=9 October 2020 |access-date=10 July 2021}}</ref><ref name="religionmediacentre-1">{{cite web |url=https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/factsheets/sex-abuse-in-christian-churches-in-the-uk/ |title=Sex Abuse in UK Christian Churches |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=9 October 2019 |website=religionmediacentre.org.uk |publisher=Religion Media Centre |location=[[London]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024044800/https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/factsheets/sex-abuse-in-christian-churches-in-the-uk/ |archive-date=24 October 2019 |access-date=10 July 2021}}</ref><ref name="religionmediacentre-2">{{cite web |url=https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/factsheets/abuse-and-the-church-of-england-timeline/ |title=Abuse and the Church of England – Timeline |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=4 October 2020 |website=religionmediacentre.org.uk |publisher=Religion Media Centre |location=[[London]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130231554/https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/factsheets/abuse-and-the-church-of-england-timeline/ |archive-date=30 November 2020 |access-date=10 July 2021}}</ref>
In the 1970s concern was raised over Jeremy Dowling, a lay minister and employee of the [[Diocese of Truro]], and a member of the general synod from 1977. Dowling was accused of sex abuse at specified schools and of sadistic behaviour. [[Maurice Key]] was Bishop of Truro at the time and until 1990; [[Michael Ball (bishop)|Michael Ball]] succeeded Key.<ref name=bbcDowling/>
In 1993, [[Peter Ball (bishop)|Peter Ball]], who had co-founded a [[monastic community]] called the [[Community of the Glorious Ascension]] with his brother Michael Ball in 1960, was the [[suffragan]] [[Bishop of Lewes]] in the [[Diocese of Chichester]] from 1977 to 1992 and then the diocesan [[Bishop of Gloucester]] from 1992 to 1993,<ref name=HarleyOct2015>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11916405/Ex-bishop-Peter-Ball-sexual-abuse-sentence.html|title=Bishop 'avoided prosecution for sex abuse after royal support' - Telegraph|last=Harley|first=Nicola|date=7 October 2015|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=12 May 2016}}</ref> resigned after admitting to an act of [[gross indecency between men|gross indecency]] with a 19-year-old former novice at the monastery, and accepting a formal [[police caution]] for it.<ref name=HarleyOct2015/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/bishop-quits-after-police-caution-for-indecency-1496511.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/bishop-quits-after-police-caution-for-indecency-1496511.html |archive-date=7 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Bishop quits after police caution for indecency|last=Brown|first=Andrew|date=9 March 1993|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=28 May 2012|location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Ball continued to serve in churches after that.<ref name=Laville/> During Peter Ball's trial in 2015, it emerged that in 1993 [[Crown Prosecution Service]] (CPS) lawyers had determined that "sufficient admissible, substantial and reliable evidence" existed that Ball had committed [[indecent assault]] and gross indecency.<ref name=Laville>[https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/sep/08/bishop-peter-ball-victims-accuse-c-of-e-police-and-cps-of-sexual-abuse-cover-up "Peter Ball victims accuse C of E, police and CPS of sexual abuse cover-up"], ''The Guardian'' (London).</ref> However, the [[Director of Public Prosecutions]], [[Barbara Mills]], had decided not to prosecute Ball, as a member of the royal family, a lord chief justice, [[Justice of the peace|JP]]s, cabinet ministers and public school headmasters—"many dozens" of people—had campaigned to support him at that time.<ref name=HarleyOct2015/><ref name=sentence2015/>
In 2007, Peter Halliday, a choirmaster in [[Guildford]] in [[Surrey]], who had told the church that he had abused children in the 1990s but was allowed to continue working with children, was convicted of three counts of sexual abuse of children, and police were concerned that there had been many more cases.<ref name=GuardianMorris>{{cite news |last1=Morris |first1=Steven |title=Church choirmaster jailed for child sex abuse |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/apr/27/topstories3.ukcrime |work=The Guardian |date=27 April 2007 |language=en}}</ref>
In light of this event and the public airing of the church's bad handling of Halliday, as well as two other high-profile sexual abuse convictions, the [[House of Bishops (Church of England)|House of Bishops]] decided in May 2007 to ask the Central Safeguarding Liaison Group to hold a review of past cases throughout the Church of England, which was carried out starting in 2008.<ref name=Singleton2018>{{cite web |last1=Singleton |first1=Roger |last2=Lamb |first2=Amanda |last3=Findlater |first3=Donald |title=Report of the Independent Scrutiny Team into the Adequacy of The Church Of England's Past Cases Review: 2008-2009 |url=https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/PCR%20Report%20of%20IST%20-%20final%20version%20June%202018.pdf |publisher=Church of England |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805193148/https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/PCR%20Report%20of%20IST%20-%20final%20version%20June%202018.pdf |archive-date=5 August 2018 |date=June 2018}}</ref>{{rp|9,12}}<ref name=GuardianBooth>{{cite news |last1=Booth |first1=Robert |title=Bishop's arrest part of broad inquiry into Chichester diocese child abuse |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/nov/13/bishops-peter-ball-arrest-chichester-child-abuse |work=The Guardian |date=13 November 2012 |language=en}}</ref> The Diocese of Chichester and the [[Sussex Police]] also began investigating long-standing allegations of sexual abuse in [[East Sussex]].<ref name=GuardianBooth/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Andreas Whittam |title=How did one small Church of England diocese produce so many paedophile reverends? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/chichester-paedophile-child-abuse-reverends-church-of-england-diocese-sex-offenders-a8270601.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/chichester-paedophile-child-abuse-reverends-church-of-england-diocese-sex-offenders-a8270601.html |archive-date=7 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Independent |date=25 March 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The Chichester diocesan past review cases report was commissioned in 2009 and run by Roger Meekings.<ref name=GuardianBooth/><ref name=RMreport>{{cite web |last1=Meekings |first1=Roger |title=Independent Historic Cases Review: Roy Cotton/Colin Pritchard |url=https://cofechichestersafeguarding.contentfiles.net/media/documents/document/2017/05/RM_report__EBS_Comments_1202282.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806012618/https://cofechichestersafeguarding.contentfiles.net/media/documents/document/2017/05/RM_report__EBS_Comments_1202282.pdf |archive-date=6 August 2018 |date=February 2012}}</ref>
In 2008, Colin Pritchard, a vicar in [[Bexhill-on-Sea]] was convicted of sexually abusing two boys; ''The Guardian'' described it as the "breakthrough case" for dealing with sexual abuse in the Chichester diocese.<ref name=GuardianBooth/> Roy Cotton, a priest in the Chichester diocese died in 2006 but allegations of abuse by him emerged shortly thereafter.<ref name=GuardianBooth/> In 2018, Pritchard, who by then had changed his name to Ifor Whittaker, was convicted of further sexual abuse that he had carried out in collaboration with Cotton.<ref>{{cite news |title=Former East Sussex priest sentenced to 16 years for non-recent sex offences against young boy |url=https://sussex.police.uk/news/former-east-sussex-priest-sentenced-to-16-years-for-non-recent-sex-offences-against-young-boy/ |work=Sussex Police |date=22 February 2018 |access-date=5 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805233721/https://sussex.police.uk/news/former-east-sussex-priest-sentenced-to-16-years-for-non-recent-sex-offences-against-young-boy/ |archive-date=5 August 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 2010 the Church of England past cases review was published.<ref name=Singleton2018/>{{rp|9,12}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Press release: Church completes independent child protection survey across dioceses |url=http://churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2010/02/pr2610.aspx |work=Church of England |date=24 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111028042123/http://churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2010/02/pr2610.aspx |archive-date=28 October 2011}}</ref>
In 2011 the Diocese of Chichester asked [[Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, Baroness Butler-Sloss|Elizabeth Butler-Sloss]] to conduct an independent review of the way the Pritchard and Cotton cases were handled by the Chichester diocese.<ref name=GuardianBooth/> In December 2011 the Archbishop of Canterbury opened an official inquiry (an archiepiscopal visitation) of the Chichester diocese due to the severity of the sexual abuse problem there; the last time such an inquiry had been established was in the 1890s.<ref>{{cite news |title=Archbishop orders inquiry into Anglican child abuse |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/archbishop-orders-inquiry-into-anglican-child-abuse-5rqf9v0wbcn |work=The Times |date=23 December 2011 |language=en|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
The Meekings Chichester past cases review report was made public in February 2012 and the next day, the Church of England issued a rare public apology in response to the report's damning description of the way the church handled Cotton and Pritchard and failed to protect and care for people abused by them.<ref name=RMreport/><ref>{{cite news |title=Church apologises for allowing paedophile to become priest |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/church-apologises-for-allowing-paedophile-to-become-priest-zxvcgtw2t0r |work=The Times |date=1 March 2012 |language=en|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
In March 2012 two retired Chichester vicars, Gordon Rideout and Robert Coles, were arrested based on information from the past cases review and the Butler-Sloss report.<ref name=TimesVicars>{{cite news |title=Retired clergymen arrested after police reopen abuse case |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/retired-clergymen-arrested-after-police-reopen-abuse-case-wkbhj8026ww |work=The Times |date=7 March 2012 |language=en|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
In May 2012 the review and historic files about Peter Ball were given to the [[Sussex Police]].<ref name=HarleyOct2015/><ref name=Laville/> Ball and another priest, Vickery House, were arrested in November 2012<ref>{{cite news |last1=O’Neill |first1=Sean |title=Former bishop the Right Rev Peter Ball held over abuse claims going back 30 years |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/former-bishop-the-right-rev-peter-ball-held-over-abuse-claims-going-back-30-years-kdzzq9p83cr |work=The Times |date=14 November 2012 |language=en|url-access=subscription}}</ref> and Ball was put on trial in 2014.<ref name=HarleyOct2015/>
The Butler-Sloss report on the handling of Cotton and Pritchard was published in December 2012<ref name=GuardianBooth/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Butler-Sloss |first1=Elizabeth |title=Historic Cases Review of Roy Cotton and Colin Pritchard |url=https://safeguarding.chichester.anglican.org/media/documents/document/2012/09/EBS_Report__Addendum1202282.pdf |publisher=Diocese of Chichester |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121203132305/https://safeguarding.chichester.anglican.org/media/documents/document/2012/09/EBS_Report__Addendum1202282.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 December 2012 |date=28 January 2012}}</ref> and was severely criticised when it was released.<ref name=TimesEBS/>
In 2014 the UK government set up the [[Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse]] to investigate how the government had handled allegations of sexual abuse and Butler-Sloss was appointed to lead it.<ref name="religionmediacentre-1"/><ref name="religionmediacentre-2"/><ref>{{cite news |title=The inquiries and what happens next |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28189858 |work=BBC News |date=4 February 2015}}</ref> Objections were raised to her participation.<ref name=GuardianEBS>{{cite news |last1=Travis |first1=Alan |title=Why did Lady Butler-Sloss stand down from the child abuse inquiry? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jul/14/why-did-lady-butler-sloss-stand-down-child-abuse-inquiry |work=The Guardian |date=14 July 2014 |language=en}}</ref> The final straw came when Phil Johnson, who by that time was a member of the National Safeguarding Panel for the church, and who had been abused by Cotton and Pritchard and had given testimony to Butler-Sloss during her 2011 inquiry, made it public that he had told Butler-Sloss about abuse by Peter Ball and that she had chosen to omit that in her report.<ref name=TimesEBS>{{cite news |last1=O’Neill |first1=Sean |title=Inquiry judge hid claims of bishop's sex abuse |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/inquiry-judge-hid-claims-of-bishops-sex-abuse-bvmc2s25960 |work=The Sunday Times |date=12 July 2014 |language=en|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=GuardianEBS/> The inquiry was disbanded and re-established the next year, and in November 2015 the panel said it would be include the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church in its investigations.<ref name=bbc271115>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34940723  "Abuse inquiry: MPs, councils and Churches to be investigated"], ''BBC News'', 27 November 2015.</ref>
In July 2015 Dowling was convicted of child sex abuse and sent to prison.<ref>{{cite news |title=Teacher jailed for sex abuse of boys |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-33475842 |work=BBC News |date=10 July 2015}}</ref> Several bishops failed to take action over Dowling possibly because there was not an earlier prosecution.<ref name=bbcDowling>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-44240688 |title=Bishops 'ignored' Jeremy Dowling child sex abuse|website=BBC News|date=25 May 2018  |author=<!--not stated-->}}</ref> A few days later the Bishop of Durham said at a church synod that the 2003 abolition of [[defrock]]ing may have been a mistake; it had been abolished over concerns about [[wrongful conviction]]s.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/anglican-church-could-bring-back-the-power-to-defrock-priests-because-of-sexual-abuse-of-children-10384247.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/anglican-church-could-bring-back-the-power-to-defrock-priests-because-of-sexual-abuse-of-children-10384247.html |archive-date=7 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Anglican Church could bring back the power to defrock priests because of sexual abuse of children|last=Johnston|first=Ian|date=12 July 2015|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|access-date=12 June 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
In October 2015, Ball was sentenced to 32 months' imprisonment for sexual abuse after admitting the abuse of 18 young men over a period of 15 years from 1977 to 1992.<ref name=victims-accuse-coverup>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/sep/08/bishop-peter-ball-victims-accuse-c-of-e-police-and-cps-of-sexual-abuse-cover-up|title=Peter Ball victims accuse C of E, police and CPS of sexual abuse cover-up |date=8 September 2015|access-date=27 November 2015|newspaper=The Guardian|last=Laville|first=Sandra}}</ref><ref name=sentence2015>{{cite news |last=Laville |first=Sandra |date=7 October 2015 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/07/bishop-peter-ball-escaped-charges-mps-royal-family-intervened-court |title=Bishop escaped abuse charges after MPs and a royal backed him, court told |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=[[London]] |eissn=1756-3224 |issn=0261-3077 |oclc=60623878 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151013002015/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/07/bishop-peter-ball-escaped-charges-mps-royal-family-intervened-court |archive-date=13 October 2015 |access-date=10 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-34184967|title=Retired bishop Peter Ball admits sex offences|date=8 September 2015|access-date=27 November 2015|work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34460481|title=Bishop Peter Ball sex abuse victims sue Church of England|date=6 October 2015|access-date=27 November 2015|work=BBC News}}</ref> Further charges of indecently assaulting two boys, aged 13 and 15, were allowed to lie on file in a contentious decision by the CPS.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Laville |first1=Sandra |title=Former bishop admits sexually abusing young men |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/sep/08/former-bishop-peter-ball-admits-sexually-abusing-young-men |work=The Guardian |date=8 September 2015 |language=en}}</ref> Vickery House, was also convicted in October 2015 and was sentenced to serve 6{{Fraction|1|2}} years in prison for sex assaults against men and a boy. House worked in the same diocese as Ball. House and Ball collaborated in abusing three victims. If Ball had not pleaded guilty both men would have been tried together.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-34670570 "Vickery House: Priest jailed over sex attacks"], BBC.</ref> There was a long delay between the first complaints to the police over House and a proper police investigation.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-34517336 "'Nothing done' over priest Vickery House 'sex reports'"], BBC.</ref>
The [[Anglican Diocese of Portsmouth]] had a number of sexual abuse convictions in the 1980s and 1990s.<ref name="The News">{{cite news|last1=Fishwick|first1=Ben|title=Church admits failure over Portsmouth paedophile priest put children at risk|url=https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/crime/church-admits-failure-over-portsmouth-paedophile-priest-put-children-at-risk-1-6845276|access-date=11 July 2015|work=The News|date=11 July 2015}}</ref> Bishop [[Timothy Bavin]] was the bishop between 1985 and 1996 and during this time a number of serious safeguarding issues took place. For example, Bavin did not report Father Terry Knight to the police when parents raised their concerns to him in 1985.<ref name="The News" /> Father Knight was allowed to carry on in his position until he was later convicted for sexually abusing boys in 1996 and again in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cotterill|first1=Tom|title=Paedophile priest from Fratton admits to abusing boy, seven|url=https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/crime/paedophile-priest-from-fratton-admits-to-abusing-boy-seven-1-7730828|access-date=13 December 2016|work=The News|date=13 December 2016}}</ref> Bavin had also allowed a convicted paedophile priest, Father Michael Gover, to carry on working for the church on his release in 1990. Father Gover was convicted in 1985 at around the same time as parents raised their concerns about Father Knight.<ref>{{cite news|title=I was wrong, says bishop who let back paedophile|url=https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/i-was-wrong-says-bishop-who-let-back-paedophile-1-1260254|access-date=20 January 2004|work=The News|date=20 January 2004}}</ref> Bavin stood down in 1995 whilst [[Terry Knight (priest)|Father Terry Knight]]'s police investigation and court case was taking place.<ref>[http://www.petersfield.uk.com/greatham.htm Dedicates church in his last year] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070214143449/http://www.petersfield.uk.com/greatham.htm |date=14 February 2007 }}</ref>
In March 2016, the "first independent review commissioned by the Church of England into its handling of a sex abuse case" issued a 21-page report by Ian Elliott, a safeguarding expert. The Church published only its conclusions and recommendations and "acknowledged the report was 'embarrassing and uncomfortable' reading". The review centred on the case of "Joe" – described in the report as survivor "B". In July 2014, Joe had "reported the abuse to the church’s safeguarding officers". He sued the church in October 2015. The church paid £35,000 in compensation and called the abuse is "a matter of deep shame and regret".<ref name="Sherwood 2016">{{cite news |last=Sherwood |first=Harriet |date=15 March 2016 |title=Damning report reveals Church of England's failure to act on abuse |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/15/damning-report-reveals-church-of-england-failure-to-act-on-abuse |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=[[London]] |eissn=1756-3224 |issn=0261-3077 |oclc=60623878 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404175053/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/15/damning-report-reveals-church-of-england-failure-to-act-on-abuse |archive-date=4 April 2016 |access-date=10 July 2021}}</ref><ref name="Mortimer 2016">{{cite news |last=Mortimer |first=Caroline |date=15 March 2016 |title=Church of England figures ignored 'sadistic' abuse of 15-year-old boy by senior priest for 40 years, report says |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/church-of-england-figures-ignored-sadistic-abuse-of-15yearold-boy-by-senior-priest-for-40-years-report-says-a6932641.html |url-status=live |work=[[The Independent]] |location=[[London]] |issn=0951-9467 |oclc=185201487 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711173957/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/church-of-england-figures-ignored-sadistic-abuse-of-15yearold-boy-by-senior-priest-for-40-years-report-says-a6932641.html |archive-date=11 July 2021 |access-date=11 July 2021}}</ref>
The review criticised the office of [[Justin Welby]], the Archbishop of Canterbury. It said that Welby's office failed "to respond meaningfully to repeated efforts by the survivor throughout 2015 to bring his case to the church leader’s attention".{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}
Speaking on behalf of the church, [[Sarah Mullally]], Bishop of Crediton, said that Welby has made "a personal commitment to seeing all the recommendations implemented quickly". The eleven recommendations included (1) training clergy (especially those in senior positions) to keep records and take action for those who report abuse and (2) the church should insure that "pastoral care of survivors takes precedence over protection of reputation or financial considerations". Bishop Mullally "is drawing up an action plan to implement the report's proposals, covering education and training, communication and structural change".<ref name="Sherwood 2016"/><ref name="Mortimer 2016"/>
==Anglican Church in New Zealand==
The Anglican Church in New Zealand has historically had instances of sexual abuse of children, adults, and clergy. The abuse took place in church-run schools as well as churches, and the church was accused of attempting to cover up the sexual crimes.<ref>{{Cite web |title='Sex addict and pervert' priest: Anglican Church accused of cover-up |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/abuse-in-care-anglican-church-accused-of-cover-up-over-sex-addict-and-pervert-priest/X7CLHWRHHDGTJBO33VHNJYGQBU/ |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=NZ Herald |date=30 November 2020 |language=en-NZ}}</ref>
In March 2021, the church was part of a nationwide inquiry into sexual abuse in churches. As part of this inquiry it emerged that many documents pertaining to the sexual abuse of people in the church from the 1990s had gone missing.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-19 |title=Anglican bishop 'embarrassed' by dud abuse hotline number |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/438694/anglican-bishop-embarrassed-by-dud-abuse-hotline-number |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=[[RNZ]] |language=en-nz}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Catholic Church sexual abuse cases]]
* [[Mormon abuse cases]]
* [[Teresa Cooper]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Pedophilia|state=expanded}}
[[Category:21st-century scandals]]
[[Category:Anglican priests convicted of crimes]]
[[Category:Anglicanism|Sexual abuse cases]]
[[Category:Religious figures convicted of child sexual abuse]]
[[Category:Child sexual abuse scandals in Anglicanism]]