Judges join call for Welby to apologise over Bell claims

CHIEF REPORTER THE Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has been accused of “shameful bias” by retired judges over his role in diminishing the reputation of a bishop accused of child sex abuse years after his death.

The judges have written to the Archbishop expressing their “grievous disappointment” at his “failure to show proper regret and to apologise for the great harm and injustice” caused by the Church’s handling of the allegation made against Bishop George Bell, the former Bishop of Chichester.

Bishop Bell, who died in 1958, was accused by a woman known only as Carol of sexually assaulting her. She was paid £16,800 damages in 2015 despite no corroborating evidence to support her claims. An independent report by Lord Carlile QC found the Church had “severely and unnecessarily damaged” Bishop Bell’s reputation. A psychiatric report suggested her claim may have come through false memory.

Despite the findings, Archbishop Welby refused to apologise and further questioned Bishop Bell’s standing by suggesting in a statement that he had committed “great wickedness”. Bishop Bell was well respected in the Church and had helped to organise the rescue of Jews from the Nazis before the war.

The letter is excoriating in its criticism of the Archbishop and was sent directly to him. Judges John Bullimore, Charles Gibson and Alan Pardoe QC wrote in the letter: “We are grievously disappointed at your failure to show proper regret and to apologise for the great harm and injustice which the Church, through the catalogue of errors identified by Lord Carlile, has caused.”

A spokesman for the Archbishop said: “We wouldn’t comment on private correspondence, but the authors will receive a prompt reply to their letter.”