UNITED KINGDOM
Anglican Communion News Service
Posted on: October 7, 2015
[ACNS] The Church of England has spoken of its “deep shame and regret” this afternoon [Wednesday] after a former diocesan bishop was sentenced to 36 months in prison after admitting a series of abuse offences against 18 young men.
Peter Ball committed the abuse between 1977 and 1992 when he was Bishop of Lewes in the Diocese of Chichester.
In 1993, a year after being appointed Bishop of Gloucester, Peter Ball stood down from full time ministry after accepting a police caution for the sexual assault of a young man, named Neil Todd, who later committed suicide. A police caution in England and Wales is a non-judicial method of disposing of admitted criminal accusations and is usually reserved for first-time minor offences.
The renewed police investigation against Peter Ball was sparked by concerns raised by the Church of England following an in-house review of all clergy files by independent safeguarding professionals. Last month, after first arguing – unsuccessfully – that he was not fit to stand trial and that a bishop is not the holder of a “public office”, the 83-year-old pleaded guilty to charges of indecent assault and misconduct in public office.
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