UNITED KINGDOM
Daily Mail
By TOM KELLY FOR THE DAILY MAIL
An Anglican investigation into its handling of child abuse allegations against a predatory Bishop was branded a ‘joke’ by former victims yesterday.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, ordered an independent review into how the church examined accusations against former Bishop of Lewes Peter Ball, who will be sentenced tomorrow after admitting a string of offences against teenagers and young men from the 1970s to 1990s.
It is expected to examine the role of one of his predecessors, Lord Carey, who sought assurances from prosecutors in 1993 that there would be no further action against Ball after he received a caution for gross indecency, despite police knowing about more complaints.
Survivors have accused the clergy of a ‘cover up’ over the case, which was finally reopened in 2012 following a review by the Church.
Ball, 83, a friend of Prince Charles, pleaded guilty last month after the Old Bailey heard how he used religion as a ‘cloak’ to prey on teenagers after they came to his home to explore their spirituality.
The Church said its review will examine its co-operation with the police and other professionals, and whether information was shared ‘in a timely manner’.
But Rev Graham Sawyer, who was abused by Ball and now heads the Church Reform Group which campaigns for victims of abuse by the clergy, claimed the Archbishop was belatedly responding to events.
He said: ‘It was not a proactive step to inform the police: they had just been caught out.
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