Bishop of Chichester George Bell’s sex abuse victim gets compensation

UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News

A victim who was sexually abused as a young child by a former Bishop of Chichester who died in the 1950s has received compensation from the Church.

Allegations against the Rt Rev George Bell were first made by the victim in 1995 but were not investigated or referred to the police.

Bell was Bishop of Chichester from 1929 until his death in October 1958.

Current Bishop Dr Martin Warner issued a formal apology after the Diocese of Chichester settled the civil claim.

‘Remains bitter’

He paid tribute to the victim’s courage in coming forward to report the abuse.

“I am committed to ensuring that the past is handled with honesty and transparency,” he said.

The allegations of sexual offences against Bell date from the late 1940s and early 1950s and concern an individual who was at the time a young child.

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