The Bishop of Liverpool has resigned after coming under scrutiny over allegations of sexual assault and harassment.
Dr John Perumbalath, who continues to deny the allegations, announced on Thursday that he was stepping down, days after Channel 4 News broadcast complaints by two women.
One complainant is a female bishop who said she had been sexually harassed by Dr Perumbalath. The Church of England said it had “explored” her complaint and that it had been “assessed not to be a safeguarding matter but a matter of alleged misconduct”.
It was not fully investigated, however, because the bishop did not bring the complaint within the 12-month limitation required under the Church of England’s Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM). An application for her complaint to be considered beyond the deadline was supported by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, but refused by the Deputy President of Tribunals, a Church of England spokesperson said.
The second complaint was made by a woman in the Diocese of Chelmsford who said she was sexually assaulted by Dr Perumbalath on three separate occasions.
She alleged that at a diocesan away day in 2019, Dr Perumbalath “kissed me forcefully on my mouth, which I did not like and I did not want. I tried to move away, but he was holding my head too tightly”.
She alleged that at the end of a meeting in 2022, “As he was letting go of hugging me, he ran his hands past the side of my breasts on both sides, with a medium pressure, until he reached the edge of the areola.”
She also alleged that in January 2023, Dr Perumbalath “pressed his face against my face, said ‘I love you’ quietly in my ear, and moved his mouth to just below my ear, on the pulse point on my neck. He opened his mouth, took a piece of my skin between his lips, and let go”.
The Church of England said that the National Safeguarding Team (NST) had investigated the complaint and “concluded that there were no ongoing safeguarding concerns, but a learning outcome was identified with which the bishop fully engaged”.
“The complaint was also investigated by the police which resulted in no further action,” the spokesperson said.
“The NST concluded that there was not sufficient evidence to bring a safeguarding-related complaint under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM) itself but offered the woman support if she wished to do so.”
The report by Channel 4 News prompted senior clergy in the Diocese of Liverpool to write to the Archbishop of York, who is temporarily leading the Church of England after the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, stepped down over safeguarding failures.
In their letter, the Liverpool clergy said that Dr Perumbalath’s position had become “untenable” and that he should “step aside from all ministry” in the diocese until the allegation by the female bishop is fully investigated.
Dr Perumbalath denied the allegations in a statement announcing his resignation in which he also claimed he had been a victim of “trial by media”.
“Earlier this week, I was approached by Channel 4 news who informed me they would be broadcasting a story containing allegations of inappropriate behaviour by me against two different women,” he said.
“Since those allegations were made, I have consistently maintained that I have not done anything wrong and continue to do so. Since the claims were made in 2023, they have been investigated and considered by experts from the National Safeguarding Team and had found them unsubstantiated. The first allegation was also investigated by the police resulting in no further action. Despite this, media reports have treated me as guilty on all charges and treated these allegations as fact.
“Further it has been erroneously reported that prior to my appointment as Bishop of Liverpool, I had failed the safeguarding assessment process. This is categorically not true. As the Church of England have made clear in their written statements over the past 48 hours responding to these false claims, the National Safeguarding Team found no concerns about my operational safeguarding experience and recommended some development work for me as I took on additional strategic safeguarding responsibilities – which is commonly the case for new diocesan bishops.
“This rush to judgment and my trial by media (be that social or broadcast) has made my position untenable due to the impact it will have on the Diocese of Liverpool and the wider church whilst we await further reviews and next steps.”
Commenting on the announcement, the Archbishop of York said, “I acknowledge the decision made by the Rt Revd Dr John Perumbalath to resign from active ministry in the Church of England. I respect his decision and thank him for his ministry.
“My thoughts and prayers continue to be with all those who have been affected by this situation.
“I am committed to ensuring stability during this time of transition and will be putting the necessary arrangements in place to provide episcopal oversight for the Diocese. An acting Bishop for the Diocese of Liverpool will be announced in the coming days.”
Senior clergy in the Diocese of Liverpool said in a statement: “Having received the news of the retirement of the Bishop of Liverpool, we acknowledge his decision in taking this step for the good of the Diocese of Liverpool. This is a deeply painful situation, and we hold all concerned in our prayers.
“We will be liaising with the Archbishop of York in the coming days to establish interim episcopal oversight for the diocese. We continue working hard to support all those who have been affected by this story; and to support our clergy, congregations and staff as their ministry continues.”
