The bishop of Liverpool has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by two women, according to Channel 4 News. John Perumbalath has denied the allegations, which date back to 2023. He claims that the police investigated the allegations but took no further action. This is not the first allegation of this kind to emerge recently, with the Church of England being subject to a great deal of scrutiny as a result of abuse scandals. Earlier this year, the Archbishop of Canterbury resigned as a consequence of one such scandal.
One of the women accusing the bishop of Liverpool claims that he kissed her and groped her without her consent. The other has accused Perumbalath of sexual harassment. In his defence, the bishop has said that all the incidents in question occurred in public settings, with other people present. He says that he has consistently denied the allegations.
The allegations against the bishop of Liverpool have been investigated by both the police and the National Safeguarding Team. The bishop has said that he complied with the NST’s investigation. The Church of England confirms that a complaint was made against the bishop in 2023, after he took up his role. The NST investigated the complaint but concluded that there was insufficient evidence to bring a complaint under the Clergy Discipline Measure. The complaint was also investigated by the police, with no further action taken.
A second complaint was made soon after the first. This was not brought within the one-year deadline for complaints of this kind. The complainant subsequently sought permission to bring the complaint, but was refused by an independent judge. The C of E has offered pastoral support to this complainant
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