Church of England says 'sorry' to abuse survivors

LONDON, United Kingdom - The Church of England on Tuesday apologized to abuse survivors after a priest reportedly assessed as a possible risk to children received a pay out.

Anglican church head Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, admitted survivors had been "let down" and acknowledged the "concerning background" to the case of Canon Andrew Hindely.

The church confirmed that "a number of allegations were made about the clergyman over a number of years", but said there had never been a criminal conviction or any finding of misconduct in independent church courts.

Hindley had been subject to five police investigations, including allegations of sexual assault, the BBC reported.

He was removed from office on health grounds in 2021 but after bringing a court challenge against that decision was given a settlement payment, the church said in a statement.

The BBC reported an offer of £240,000 ($307,000) was made, but said non-disclosure agreements meant the payout sum was unknown.

The broadcaster quoted from a risk assessment it said had been carried out by a child protection charity which said he presented "a risk of significant harm to children and young people" and advised he "should have no unsupervised contact with children or young people".

"We are truly sorry when survivors are let down by the church," Welby and Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, said in a joint statement.

"We were both made aware of this case, including the concerning background and the challenges caused by statutory and church processes ending with no further action," they added.

“We absolutely believe that there is no place in ministry for people who are a risk or pose a risk to others and continue to work to ensure that our systems are made ever stronger and more robust," they added.

Hindley reportedly claimed he had been subjected to a campaign to drive him from the church, arguing it was motivated by homophobia and personal agendas.

Churches worldwide have faced a firestorm in recent years over child sex abuse scandals.

The Church of England in 2022 said its own review had found nearly 400 cases involving allegations of abuse that required further investigation, prompting it to express "profound shame".

An independent report in 2019 criticised the church for putting its own reputation over the needs of victims in the case of prolific sex offender Bishop Peter Ball.

Ball in 2015 admitted and was jailed for abusing 17 teenagers and young men while Bishop of Lewes and Bishop of Gloucester.

He had been arrested and cautioned by police in 1992 for gross indecency but the report said the church allowed him to return to work "with indecent haste". —  Agence France-Presse