Bishop of Gloucester facing no further action over sexual assault claims

UNITED KINGDOM
Telegraph

By John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor

14 Oct 2014

The Bishop of Gloucester is to face no further action from police over allegations of indecent assault in the early 1980s, it has emerged.

The Church of England confirmed that it had been notified by Scotland Yard that the Rt Rev Michael Perham will not be facing charges over the claims involving a women and a girl.

It comes just days after the bishop, who “stepped back” from ministry earlier this year because of the allegations, announced that his retirement service was being postponed amid the investigation.

Bishop Perham, 66, was questioned – but not placed under arrest – after attending a police station in August in connection with the allegations, which date back to 1980 and 1981.

He was a curate at St Mary’s Addington in Croydon, south London, at the time.

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