Cathy Newman: Should a bishop accused of sexually assaulting one woman and sexually harassing another bishop be sacked?
Rose Hudson-Wilkin: We live in a world where we have proper processes and we don’t just sack someone when there is an allegation. Now, these are serious allegations, let’s be clear about that. But there are proper processes to be followed and as far as I’m aware, there were investigations carried out by a professional body in the form of the National Safeguarding Team.
Cathy Newman: But the claim here is that those processes are failing the victims repeatedly. And when a bishop, a senior person in the church, makes a complaint and is told that that complaint can’t be taken forward because more than a year has elapsed since the alleged incident occurred. How is anyone who has these claims to get justice in the church, if that is how people are dealt with?
Rose Hudson-Wilkin: As I say, there are processes to be followed. I know for a fact that the Archbishop of York has instructed a barrister to look at the decisions that have been made and the actions taken in order to see if anything has been missed and also to suggest further possible ways forward. We have got to follow processes. We cannot just behave in a way like a sort of a lynch mob. We can’t do that.
Cathy Newman: But do you believe the victims, including one of your colleagues, a bishop, a fellow bishop?
Rose Hudson-Wilkin: It’s not about whether I believe the victims. The victims who come forward and make allegations, they are assessed in terms of the investigations done and they are done by a professional body.
Cathy Newman: But is that professional body fit for purpose? That’s my point.
Rose Hudson-Wilkin: The barrister that has been instructed will let us know that as a church and it is my hope that when that barrister comes back with their report, that we will act on it immediately.
“We cannot just behave in a way like a sort of a lynch mob. We can’t do that.”
– Right Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin
Cathy Newman: The Archbishop of York, who is currently leading the Church of England after the resignation of Justin Welby, knew of the sexual assault allegations against the Bishop of Liverpool before his enthronement, which was in April 2023. So he knew of that and yet the enthronement went ahead. Was that appropriate?
Rose Hudson-Wilkin: But by then, according to your report, an investigation had been carried out and he was not found guilty, as it were.
Cathy Newman: He was subsequently investigated by the police, interviewed under caution. So things are not really quite played out. It’s quite extraordinary, isn’t it, for a serving senior bishop to be interviewed under caution, which means he’s treated as a potential criminal suspect by police?
Rose Hudson-Wilkin: But doesn’t that then tell you that there is no cover up and no one is hiding anyone?
Cathy Newman: No one knew about any of this until we broadcast it tonight. Is that right? Or would it not have been more transparent to publish these claims to support the victims and to make a statement at that point? It had to be dragged out of you.
Rose Hudson-Wilkin: The church has processes that it follows. Now, I’m not sure why it has been left for you to to bring this up as a story, as a headline, when these matters are being investigated. It is treated confidentially.
Cathy Newman: Bishop Rose, I believe the Bishop of Liverpool is with you at your away day. Will you be offering him your support?
Rose Hudson-Wilkin: The Bishop of Liverpool, I can tell you, is not here.
Cathy Newman: So has he been disinvited? Because all bishops were invited, weren’t they?
Rose Hudson-Wilkin: The Bishop of Liverpool is a grown adult and would have made his decision as to whether or not he’s going to attend.
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