UNITED KINGDOM
Eastbourne Herald
Published on Friday 19 October 2012
The Archbishop of Canterbury has admitted the church has made mistakes in the past and that it needs to change on the day that the Bishop of Lewes has announced he is to retire.
The Right Reverend Wallace Benn revealed yesterday that he will retire at the end of October.
His announcement comes at a time when the church in Sussex, and Bishop Benn in particular, have come under enormous pressure over its child protection policies and the conduct of its priests.
Three Sussex priests have been charged with child sex offences this year, and today (Friday) retired Eastbourne priest, Canon Gordon Rideout, was due to appear at Lewes Crown Court charged with 38 offences of sexual abuse, including sexual assault and attempted rape against 18 children between 1962 and 1973. As a result, there had been calls for Bishop Benn’s resignaton earlier this year.
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