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George Bell (bishop): Child abuse allegations

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Up to the October 2015 press release

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In 1995, when Eric Kemp was Bishop of Chichester, a woman wrote to him, alleging that Bell had sexually abused her a female child during the late 1940s and early 1950s, until she moved away at the age of 10.[1][2] By 1995, Bell had been dead for 37 years. After making a few enquiries, Kemp wrote to offer the complainant counselling. The diocese seems to have hoped that the problem would go away.[3] In April 2013, the woman – who is known by the pseudonym ‘Carol’[4] – reiterated her complaint to the office of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.[5] In June 2013 the Diocese of Chicester notified the police, 55 years after Bell's death.[6]

An investigation by the police concluded that there was sufficient evidence to have arrested Bell had he still been alive. The diocese paid compensation in September 2015 and Martin Warner, the Bishop of Chichester, issued a formal apology to the alleged victim the following month. A pre-litigation process which had included the commissioning of expert independent reports had preceded the financial claim, with no reason having been found to doubt the veracity of the claim.[7][8][9]

Aftermath of the press release

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In February 2016 the female alleged victim spoke publicly for the first time, in an interview with the Brighton Argus about being sexually abused from the age of five until her family moved away when she was nine.[4]

There were also criticisms of the way in which the Church of England handled the case. These included an article in The Spectator by Peter Hitchens, who described Bell as a "fair, just, brave man" who deserved the "presumption of innocence".[10] An editorial in the Church of England Newspaper similarly wrote that Bell was "being tried and convicted by the Church of England with little thought for proper justice and due process".[11] On 13 November 2015, Alan Pardoe, a judge and Queen's Counsel, criticised the handling of the allegations against Bell as "slipshod and muddled" in a letter to the Church Times.[12] There were further criticisms of the handling of the case in the Church Times of 20 November 2015 by a group of theologians and historians headed by Jeremy Morris, Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge.[13] An accompanying letter from Dr Brian Hanson said there had been unhappiness expressed at the Chichester diocesan synod over the national church's handling of the issue. In the Daily Telegraph of 2 January 2016, Charles Moore severely criticised the Church's treatment of Bishop Bell.[14] On 7 January 2016, The Daily Telegraph published a letter by Bishop Warner stating that the church was mindful of the widely felt hurt about its decision, especially because of the bishop’s great reputation. However the church was seeking, "to move on from a culture in which manipulation of power meant that victims were too afraid to make allegations, or allegations were easily dismissed." In future, "we must provide safeguards of truth and justice for all, victim and accused alike." The bishop welcomed the Goddard Inquiry, "as a more balanced forum than the media might be for a judicial and forensic assessment of our handling of child-abuse cases" .[15]

Following the settlement with the alleged victim, Bishop Bell School in Eastbourne changed its name to St Catherine's College, Eastbourne;[16] similar suggestions were made for the house named after Bell at Bishop Luffa School in Chichester and the building named after him at Chichester Cathedral.[17]

The George Bell Group, containing several leading churchmen and women, lawyers, and members of both Houses of Parliament, published a review on 20 March 2016 in which they challenged the Church's evidence against Bishop Bell and attacked it for failing to find or interview a key witness or examine Bell's own extensive personal archive.[18][19]

On 30 June 2016 the case formed a large part of a debate in the House of Lords on historical child sex abuse.[20]

The Carlile review

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On 28 June 2016 the Church of England announced that it would hold an independent review of the procedure used. It announced on 22 November 2016 that the QC Lord Carlile would be the reviewer.[21][22]

In December 2017, the Church of England apologised to relatives of the bishop for the way it investigated child abuse claims made against him. Lord Carlile criticised the Church response as "deficient" in a number of respects and that "it failed to follow a process that was fair and equitable to both sides". The Church repeated its apology for failing to report the alleged victim's allegations to the police when she first came forward in 1995.[23]

References

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  1. ^ "Bishop of Chichester George Bell's sex abuse victim gets compensation". BBC News. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  2. ^ Lord Carlile (2017-12-15). "Bishop George Bell: The Independent Review" (PDF). The Church of England. See para. 81. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  3. ^ Lord Carlile (2017-12-15). "Bishop George Bell: The Independent Review" (PDF). The Church of England. See paras 88, 90. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  4. ^ a b "Victim describes how she was abused by bishop George Bell". The Guardian. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  5. ^ Lord Carlile (2017-12-15). "Bishop George Bell: The Independent Review" (PDF). The Church of England. See paras 109, 111. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  6. ^ Lord Carlile (2017-12-15). "Bishop George Bell: The Independent Review" (PDF). The Church of England. See para. 126. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  7. ^ Sherwood, Harriet (22 October 2015). "Church of England bishop George Bell abused young child". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  8. ^ "Statement on the Rt. Revd George Bell (1883 -1958)". Church of England. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  9. ^ "Statement on the Rt. Revd George Bell (1883–1958)". Diocese of Chichester. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  10. ^ Hitchens, Peter (7 November 2015). "The Church of England's shameful betrayal of bishop George Bell". The Spectator. Press Holdings. Archived from the original on 7 November 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  11. ^ "The rule of the lynch mob". Church of England Newspaper. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  12. ^ "The Church of England media Statement about Bishop George Bell". Church Times. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  13. ^ "Church of England media statement on Bishop Bell:further comment". Church Times. 20 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  14. ^ "The Church,the police and the unholy destruction of Bishop Bell". Daily Telegraph. 2 January 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  15. ^ "Letter". Daily Telegraph. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  16. ^ Lindsey, Peter (27 January 2016). "School announce new name changed after Bishop George Bell child abuse settlement". The Argus. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  17. ^ "Bishop Luffa urged to rename house after George Bell revelation". Chichester Observer. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  18. ^ "Challenge to Bishop George Bell abuse claim". BBC News. 20 March 2016.
  19. ^ "A Review By The George Bell Group Of The Treatment By The Church Of England Of The Late Bishop Of Chichester, George Bell". George Bell Group. 20 March 2016.
  20. ^ "House of Lords Hansard 30 June 2016 Volume 773". House of Lords Hansard. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  21. ^ "Lord Carlile named as independent reviewer in George Bell case". Church of England. 22 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  22. ^ "Bishop George Bell case: Lord Carlile to lead review". BBC News. 23 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  23. ^ "Church apology over Bishop George Bell abuse inquiry". BBC News. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
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