Summary
Two Church of England dioceses received warnings from the Charity Commission for not properly handling safeguarding complaints against a former bishop, John Perumbalath. The dioceses were found to have mismanaged allegations of inappropriate behavior, leading to calls for stronger procedures. While one diocese accepted the findings, the other disagreed with the conclusions.
Key Facts
- Two Church of England dioceses received warnings for mismanaging safeguarding complaints.
- The complaints involved former Bishop of Liverpool, John Perumbalath, accused by two women.
- One woman alleged inappropriate conduct occurred in Chelmsford between 2019 and 2023.
- Another complaint was lodged when Perumbalath was Bishop of Liverpool.
- The Charity Commission criticized the dioceses for poor handling and oversight of these allegations.
- This is the first time the charity regulator has taken such action at this level against the Church.
- The Liverpool Diocesan Board accepted the findings and pledged improvements.
- The Chelmsford diocese disagreed with some Commission conclusions but promised cooperation.
