I deserve criticism over jailed bishop, admits Lord Carey
CHIEF REPORTER LORD CAREY, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has admitted he deserves to be criticised over his support for a bishop convicted of sexual assault, as it emerged separately that his son, a priest, has been arrested for historic child sex abuse.
The retired Anglican Archbishop has been warned he can expect “explicit criticism” over claims that the criminal activities of Peter Ball, the then Bishop of Gloucester, were covered up by the Church of England.
Lord Carey, who was a friend of Ball’s, has now been given his own lawyer, funded by the Church of England, to represent him at the national child sex abuse inquiry.
He had previously been using the Church’s own lawyers but last month requested his own, over concerns of a “conflict” between the Church’s interests and his.
A source close to Lord Carey said: “He knows he will be criticised and he knows he will be criticised rightly. Clearly the Church didn’t handle it well and Lord Carey was naive in trusting Peter Ball.
“The acknowledgment now is he wasn’t doing the Christian thing by the victims of Ball. He would accept he didn’t discharge the pastoral duties to the victims very well.”
Separately, the Rev Mark Carey, his son, was arrested this week at his home in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, on suspicion of historic child sex abuse. His alleged victim, now in her thirties, reportedly claimed she was assaulted when the Rev Carey, 51, was in his late teens.
The father of three has been bailed by police and suspended by the Church while inquiries continue.
His brother, Andrew, who works at the Christian charity Barnabas Fund, said his family did not want to comment on the allegations.
Last night, the Church of England insisted relations with Lord amicable.
Ball, 84, who was also Bishop of Lewes, was jailed last October after admitting the abuse of 18 young men between 1977 and 1992.
He was arrested for indecent assault in 1992 but only received a caution and was able to carry on working for another 15 years.
Lord Carey, who has denied any involvement in a cover-up, intervened in the case, telephoning a Crown Prosecution Service director and claimed to have been told: “The matter is closed.” Carey remained