Church of England’s Liverpool bishop resigns after assault allegations

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This article was published 30/01/2025 (317 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LONDON (AP) — The Bishop of Liverpool has resigned following allegations of sexual assault and harassment, heaping more pressure on the Church of England as it seeks to move past the fallout from a separate scandal that toppled its former leader.

Right Rev. John Perumbalath’s departure came after Channel Four news reported earlier this week that one woman had accused the bishop of kissing her without consent and groping her, and another woman accused him of sexual harassment. The allegations had become a distraction, he said.

“This is not a resignation occasioned by fault or by any admission of liability,’’ he said. “Rather, it has become clear that stepping back from my ministry and waiting for the completion of further reviews would mean a long period of uncertainty for the diocese and all those who serve it.”

The resignation comes just months after the church was shaken by the departure of former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Welby stepped down after an independent investigation found that he had failed to inform police about serial physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps as soon as he became aware of it.