UNITED KINGDOM
Chichester Obsever
A sex abuse victim of former Bishop of Chichester George Bell remains ‘bitter’ an earlier complaint was not followed up, according to a solicitor.
The Bishop of Chichester in 1995 Eric Kemp was told of the allegations but did not refer it to police, according to the victim’s solicitor Tracey Emmott.
“The new culture of openness in the Church of England is genuinely refreshing and seems to represent a proper recognition of the dark secrets of its past, many of which may still not have come to light,” she said.
“While my client is glad this case is over, they remain bitter that their 1995 complaint was not properly listened to or dealt with until my client made contact with Archbishop Justin Welby’s office in 2013.
“That failure to respond properly was very damaging, and combined with the abuse that was suffered has had a profound effect on my client’s life.
“For my client, the compensation finally received does not change anything. How could any amount of money possibly compensate for childhood abuse?
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