The Church of England has issued an apology to abuse survivors after a priest, assessed as a potential risk to children, received a payout. On Tuesday, the church’s leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, admitted that survivors had been “let down” by the handling of the case involving Canon Andrew Hindley, as reported by news agency AFP.
Hindley, who was removed from office on health grounds in 2021, had been the subject of multiple allegations over several years, though he had never been criminally convicted or found guilty of misconduct by independent church courts. Reports indicate that Hindley was subjected to five police investigations, including claims of sexual assault. Despite these serious allegations, the details of the payout remain shrouded in secrecy due to non-disclosure agreements, though the BBC reported an offer of £240,000 ($307,000).
A risk assessment carried out by a child protection charity had flagged Hindley as posing “a risk of significant harm to children and young people,” recommending that he should have “no unsupervised contact with children or young people.” This assessment, alongside the payout, has sparked outrage and concern about the church’s safeguarding practices.
“We are truly sorry when survivors are let down by the church,” Welby and Cottrell said in a joint statement. “We were both made aware of this case, including the concerning background and the challenges caused by statutory and church processes ending with no further action.” They reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that the church’s systems are strengthened to prevent such failures in the future.
Hindley has argued that his removal was part of a campaign driven by homophobia and personal agendas. This controversy adds to the Church of England’s recent struggles with child sex abuse scandals, including a 2022 review revealing nearly 400 cases requiring further investigation, and an independent report in 2019 criticising the church for prioritising its reputation over victims’ needs.
Hindley, who was removed from office on health grounds in 2021, had been the subject of multiple allegations over several years, though he had never been criminally convicted or found guilty of misconduct by independent church courts. Reports indicate that Hindley was subjected to five police investigations, including claims of sexual assault. Despite these serious allegations, the details of the payout remain shrouded in secrecy due to non-disclosure agreements, though the BBC reported an offer of £240,000 ($307,000).
A risk assessment carried out by a child protection charity had flagged Hindley as posing “a risk of significant harm to children and young people,” recommending that he should have “no unsupervised contact with children or young people.” This assessment, alongside the payout, has sparked outrage and concern about the church’s safeguarding practices.
“We are truly sorry when survivors are let down by the church,” Welby and Cottrell said in a joint statement. “We were both made aware of this case, including the concerning background and the challenges caused by statutory and church processes ending with no further action.” They reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that the church’s systems are strengthened to prevent such failures in the future.
Hindley has argued that his removal was part of a campaign driven by homophobia and personal agendas. This controversy adds to the Church of England’s recent struggles with child sex abuse scandals, including a 2022 review revealing nearly 400 cases requiring further investigation, and an independent report in 2019 criticising the church for prioritising its reputation over victims’ needs.