The incoming Archbishop of Canterbury faces a complaint over her handling of an abuse allegation made in 2020. Church of England authorities are now considering the complaint against The Right Reverend Dame Sarah Mullally, just weeks before she is due to take office on January 28. The complaint's consideration comes after administrative errors prevented its initial follow-up, intensifying scrutiny on the Church's complaint procedures following her predecessor's resignation over a safeguarding scandal.
The complaint against Dame Sarah was made by an individual referred to as N in 2020. A Lambeth Palace spokesman confirmed that «due to administrative errors and an incorrect assumption about the individual's wishes, the complaint was not taken forward or appropriately followed up». The spokesman added that «the Bishop of London was unaware of the matter, as the process never reached the stage at which she would have been informed of the complaint or its contents».
The provincial registrar has apologized to those involved. Urgent arrangements are now being made for the complaint to be considered according to the relevant statutory process.
Mullally commits to reform
Dame Sarah, currently Bishop of London, addressed the matter in statements to The Times on Wednesday. She acknowledged that N had previously made separate abuse allegations against a member of clergy, which were handled by the Diocese of London. «While his abuse allegations against a member of clergy were fully dealt with by the Diocese of London, it is clear that a different complaint he subsequently made against me personally in 2020 was not properly dealt with,» she said.
The 63-year-old emphasized her commitment to strengthening Church processes. «I am seeking assurance that processes have been strengthened to ensure any complaint that comes into Lambeth Palace is responded to in a timely and satisfactory manner,» Dame Sarah told The Times.
She called for comprehensive reforms: «The Church's processes have to change, both for complainants, and for the clergy who are the subject of complaints. Today, I am one of those clergy.» She added: «As Archbishop of Canterbury, I will do everything in my power to bring about much needed and overdue reform. We must have trust in our systems, or else we cannot expect others to put their trust in us.»
Next steps in the process
The complaint will now be assessed by the deputy provincial registrar for Canterbury. The Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York, will then decide on the appropriate course of action. Options include dismissing the complaint, requiring a formal response, taking no further action, referring it to a church tribunal or a conciliator, or imposing a penalty ranging from stern disapproval to a lifetime ban from the ministry.
N has previously accused the Church of England of attempting to "silence" him, according to the Premier Christian News site.
Context of Church scrutiny
The complaint against Dame Sarah emerges in the wake of her predecessor's departure. Justin Welby formally resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury in January, following criticism over his handling of the Church of England's child abuse scandal. He was the first Archbishop of Canterbury forced out of the role after failures meant an abuser was never brought to justice.
An independent review by Keith Makin concluded that abuse allegations against Christian camp leader John Smyth «could and should have been formally reported to the police in the UK, and to authorities in South Africa (church authorities and potentially the police) by church officers, including a diocesan bishop and Justin Welby in 2013».
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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