Cottrell and Carey: why is some safeguarding secret, while others are thrown to the media?

Jun 30, 2020 by Jill

by Archbishop Cranmer:

It was announced yesterday that the Rt Rev’d Stephen Cottrell, who next week is to be formally installed as the 98th Archbishop of York, had been investigated over a past failure of safeguarding. The incident is a decade old, and concerned domestic abuse. “I am deeply distressed and extremely sorry,” he said in a contrite statement. He added: “..in my new position as Archbishop of York it is absolutely essential that I am open and transparent about the need for the whole of our church to be scrupulously honest with each other about any failings in safeguarding.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury issued a mild rebuke: “He clearly should have informed the authorities and made fuller notes of what he did in this case. He has shown humility in immediately admitting he failed to act as he should have done in this case, when the matter was raised with him by the NST this year.”

He was investigated by the National Safeguarding Team last year? Who knew?

The NST confirmed: “The concerns raised were about the action taken following allegations of domestic abuse perpetrated by a parish priest. At the time Bishop Stephen responded to the survivor, offered support and subsequently referred the allegation within the diocese, but did not ensure the matter was referred to the statutory authorities or directly to the diocesan safeguarding adviser.”

Read here