The Bishop of Liverpool has rebuffed allegations of misconduct leveled against him by two women.
In a statement following an initial report by Channel 4, the Rt Revd Dr John Perumbalath affirmed that he has “consistently denied” the accusations and has cooperated with any church inquiry.
“The claims mentioned in this program pertain to interactions that occurred in public venues, in the presence of other individuals,” he stated.
He further noted that a misconduct allegation originating in Essex had been “examined by the police who decided to take no further steps”.
The bishop remarked that although “I don’t think I have acted inappropriately”, he is taking “seriously the lessons learned through this process regarding how my behavior can be interpreted by others” and expressed his willingness to comply “with any inquiry deemed necessary”.
The Church of England also established that a report of alleged misconduct against the bishop was filed earlier in 2023.
It stated: “The complaint was investigated in accordance with statutory safeguarding protocols… and an independent risk assessment was conducted.
“The findings revealed that there were no ongoing safeguarding concerns, but a learning outcome was identified which the bishop fully embraced.”
Shortly after the initial allegation, the church reported that “another woman came forward with a further disclosure”.
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The church indicated that the subsequent allegation was “deemed not to be a safeguarding issue but rather a case of alleged misconduct”.
It also mentioned that the second woman had presented her claim too late for any action to be initiated.
Additionally, it noted that Stephen Cottrell – the Archbishop of York – was involved in providing support to the woman.
“He played no role in the decision-making process concerning safeguarding or disciplinary issues,” the statement elaborated.
Stephen Cottrell faced criticism after it was alleged he allowed a priest to remain in position after compensating a victim of sexual abuse. File pic: PA
Mr. Cottrell was criticized the previous year following a BBC investigation that asserted when he served as Bishop of Chelmsford, he permitted priest David Tudor to retain his position in the diocese even after being aware that Tudor had been prohibited by the Church from being alone with minors and had compensated a victim of sexual abuse.
He expressed at that time that he was “deeply sorry that we could not act sooner” but maintained that he “acted promptly” within his authority regarding the situation.
