The Church has let down my father, says son of Lord Carey

THE son of George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has attacked Church of England bishops for failing to support his father, who he said is the victim of “changing attitudes”.

Last month the Gibb report into sexual abuse by paedophile bishop Peter Ball found that Lord Carey was among church figures who had “colluded” with the disgraced bishop.

Following the publication of the report he was asked to step down from his role as an honorary assistant bishop in the diocese of Oxford. His son Andrew Carey, a Christian campaigner and writer, wrote in his column in the Church of England newspaper that he was “angry and dismayed” at what had happened to his father.

He wrote: “I’m struck by the absence of any public expression of sadness and sympathy for my father from the current crop of archbishops and bishops.

“They certainly wouldn’t express any support for him in public because he now suffers from a disease that all bishops fear is contagious – that he has been criticised over handling safeguarding.

“It’s no matter that the term ‘safeguarding’ hadn’t even been coined when Bishop Peter Ball’s crimes were first reported... Twenty-five years later you are held accountable for cultural attitudes and standards that are totally different today.”

Lord Carey was the Archbishop of Canterbury when Ball accepted a caution for gross indecency in 1993.

The Gibb report found that Lord Carey was aware of six letters sent by members of the public making further allegations, but did not pass them on to police.