UNITED KINGDOM
The Argus
Joel Adams, Reporter
THE head of the Church of England in Sussex has responded to The Argus’s exclusive interview with the victim of George Bell with a forthright statement of support for the survivor.
Yesterday the woman, who was abused by Bell for four years in the 1940s starting from when she was just five years old, broke her silence for the first time.
She detailed how the former Bishop of Chichester would sit her on his lap and touch her, moving her underwear aside to molest her sexually.
In a statement yesterday Martin Warner, head bishop of the Diocese of Chichester, praised her “courage and integrity,” and chastised those whose comments on the story have failed to show compassion or understanding of her suffering.
The victim replied by saying the statement was “heartening” and praised the Bishop and the Diocese for their support in recent years.
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