Police are no longer investigating late George Bell, former bishop of Chichester
by Miles Dilworth, Mailonline:
Police have dropped a controversial inquiry into an ex-bishop allegedly smeared by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Sussex Police said it is no longer investigating an allegation of child sex abuse against the late George Bell, former bishop of Chichester, referred to them earlier this year.
A spokesman said the investigation had been completed last month.
Claims against Dr Bell – who was widely respected for speaking out against Nazi atrocities and saving Jews from persecution – surfaced in 2012, but were dismissed over a lack of evidence.
Peter Hitchens says: Wicked Welby smear No2 fails
Bad news for Archbishop Welby’s continuing attempt to smear the name of the great Bishop George Bell, whose self-sacrificing courage in standing up for truth when it was unpopular utterly overshadows today’s trivial bishops.
Just after its kangaroo court condemnation of Bishop Bell was torn to pieces in a report in January, the Church proclaimed that new accusations against him had emerged.
What were they? Nobody would say. To make these look important, the Church reported them to Sussex Police.
But Sussex Police, who made fools of themselves by getting too deeply involved in the first, discredited allegation, now tell me that they have finished their inquiries and the matter is closed.
Could this be because there is nothing to say? Mr Welby’s spokesman cowers behind a wall of silence.
It would be bad if this were an oil company. But it is worse when it is a Christian church. Poor Barbara Whitley, 93, the Bishop’s surviving niece, has had enough of this.
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