The Church of England is facing a new child protection scandal after accusations that the former archbishop of York failed to report allegations of child abuse by a senior clergyman.
Lord Hope of Thornes, the former archbishop, said he stripped the Very Rev Robert Waddington, a former dean of Manchester cathedral who was once in charge of church schools, of his right to conduct church services after allegations of child abuse against him. But Hope said he did not report the matter to the police or other child protection agencies because he deemed Waddington did not pose a further risk to children.
The extent of the allegations against Waddington have emerged in a joint investigation by the Times and the Australian newspaper that uncovered internal church files showing Hope was made aware of abuse allegations in 1999 and again in 2003. The Office of the Archbishop of York confirmed it was aware of legal action by an alleged victim. Dean died in 2007. The controversy comes after a report published earlier this month, ordered by former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, warned the church risked a ticking "time bomb" if it failed to take urgent action to prevent further incidents of child abuse.
The allegations will also add to the pressure on Williams's successor, Justin Welby, who now faces the prospect of dealing with historic childhood sexual abuse in addition to rows about same-sex marriage and women bishops.
Hope ordered internal investigations, interviewed Waddington and revoked his "permission to officiate" in church, according to the Times. But, in a statement, the former archbishop said he did not deem the alleged abuser to pose a further risk due to his ill health after cancer surgery.
He added that the action taken was in line with the church's then child protection proceedures and denied that he or his then staff had "acted negligently". Greater Manchester police told the Times they were concerned that the diocese had chosen not to report the case while Waddington was still alive. It was only last October when Eli Ward, a former choirboy, made a report of his alleged abuse to officers.
The statement from Hope, issued through Bradford Diocese where he is assistant bishop, said the guidelines did not legally oblige the church to refer allegations made by adults to the authorities. But they did require him to consider whether children might still be at risk and if necessary to ensure that appropriate steps were taken to protect them, including reporting the matter. Hope said: "In considering whether children would be at risk from Robert Waddington I decided under these guidelines that this would not be the case given his serious ill health following cancer surgery. The following year I revoked Robert Waddington's permission to officiate. He died two years later."
He added: "I am deeply aware of the pain caused to any victim of child abuse, especially at the hands of a trustworthy person within the church."
Waddington, whom the Times reports had close links with the scandal-hit Chetham's music school while in Manchester, died of throat cancer in 2007.
A spokesman for the office of the Archbishop of York, currently Dr John Sentamu, said he understood that a personal injury claim had been sent to the the dean and chapter of Manchester cathedral, which had refered the matter to its own insurers and solicitors. "The archbishop has not seen that letter of claim. In light of the above, it would not be appropriate at this time for the archbishop to respond to these questions," the spokedDiocese of Manchester said it was aware of the abuse allegations and was "working co-operatively with the parties concerned".
The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler, chair of the Churches National Safeguarding Committee, said the church now had robust child protection policies in place.
He also acknowledged that in the past procedures had fallen short of protecting abuse victims.
"As a church we will always apologise for past systems that let down the vulnerable and offer support to anyone whose life has been affected. We would encourage anyone who has any safeguarding concerns within a church context to come forward with the assurance they will be listened to."
Earlier this month a report into the church's child protection policies following abuse scandals in the Chichester diocese found that safeguarding of children and other vulnerable people had fallen "woefully short" of what should be expected. It also warned that there may still be abusers who have not yet been identified.
It recommended that every diocese should have a list of qualified people who could support those making allegations against clergy. Investigators said bishops must be given mandatory powers of suspension to ensure that alleged perpetrators were adequately dealt with.