Archbishop of York Expresses Regret Over Twice Renewed Role of Priest in Abuse Scandal

The BBC has disclosed that a Church of England priest involved in a sexual abuse matter received two reappointments to a prominent position within his diocese while the Archbishop of York served as Bishop of Chelmsford. An earlier BBC inquiry brought to light that David Tudor continued in his position for nine years following the initial notification of concerns regarding him to Stephen Cottrell. Recent details indicate that Tudor’s tenure as area dean in Essex was extended in both 2013 and 2018. During these periods, Mr Cottrell was aware that Tudor had provided financial compensation to a woman who alleges she was subjected to abuse by him during her childhood. The Archbishop of York expressed regret concerning his management of the situation, with a representative stating, “he acknowledges this could have been handled differently”. The spokesperson further commented that “all the risks around David Tudor were regularly reviewed” and that this constituted the “main focus”. The scrutiny directed at Mr Cottrell coincides with a period of unrest within the Church of England, subsequent to a critical report detailing its concealment of extensive abuse perpetrated by the barrister John Smyth. This report resulted in the resignation of the Church’s highest-ranking official, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. Mr Cottrell is slated to assume his duties on an interim basis for several months in the New Year. Rachel Ford, who informed the inquiry that Tudor had groomed her during her childhood, asserted that the extension of his contract as area dean represented “an insult to all of his victims”. Ms Ford further stated that if Mr Cottrell bore responsibility for this, it reinforced her conviction that he ought to resign. The BBC’s inquiry indicated that Mr Cottrell received a briefing during his inaugural week as Bishop of Chelmsford regarding significant safeguarding concerns related to Tudor. Among these issues was the fact that Tudor had been convicted of indecently assaulting three underage girls and sentenced to six months in prison in 1988, though this conviction was later overturned due to technicalities. Mr Cottrell would also have been aware that Tudor had been subject to a five-year prohibition from ministry. By 2012, Mr Cottrell was also informed that Tudor had made a £10,000 settlement payment to a woman who claims she experienced sexual abuse from him starting at age 11. In 2018, the Church of England extended an apology and a six-figure compensation payment to a different alleged victim. Nevertheless, the priest’s suspension occurred solely in 2019, initiated by a police investigation after an additional woman presented allegations that Tudor had abused her during the 1980s. In his initial response to the BBC’s investigation, the Archbishop of York stated he was “deeply sorry that we were not able to take action earlier”, maintaining that he had proceeded at the earliest legally permissible moment. Mr Cottrell additionally remarked that he had encountered a “horrible and intolerable” situation and that it was “awful to live with and to manage”. Upon Mr Cottrell’s appointment as bishop in 2010, Tudor was in the second year of a five-year tenure as an area dean, a position that involved supervising 12 parishes in Essex. His designation to that role, under the authority of a preceding bishop, took place even though he was operating under a safeguarding accord that prohibited him from being unsupervised with children and from entering educational institutions. The designation was extended twice during Mr Cottrell’s leadership – in 2013 and 2018 – and he relinquished the title solely upon the conclusion of his term of office in 2020. It was not rescinded. A representative for the Archbishop stated that he “accepts responsibility for David Tudor remaining as area dean”. The Archbishop’s office declared, “No-one advised him that David Tudor should not continue as an area dean.” Helen-Ann Hartley, the Bishop of Newcastle, commented on X that Mr Cottrell’s declarations of regret were inconsistent with his conduct. She further remarked, “I don’t know how you can find a situation ‘horrible and intolerable’ and then square that with what is reported here.” She concluded, “Answer is, you can’t and be expected to be a credible voice as the leadership of the Church of England.” The Reverend Lucy Winkett, who serves as Rector of St James’s Piccadilly, informed the BBC that the Church’s credibility faces “serious trouble”. She conveyed to BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend on Sunday, “The credibility of the church, yes it’s in… we’re in serious trouble in terms of our credibility, but the job of the leaders in the church like me is to keep reminding ourselves who we’re here for”. The broadcast additionally featured an interview with the Bishop of Gloucester, the Right Reverend Rachel Treweek, who expressed feeling “shock and dismay” after learning of the recent discoveries concerning the Archbishop of York. When pressed for a definitive response regarding her support for Mr Cottrell’s position within the Church, she responded: “I want the proper process to take place, in order that we shape ourselves as the right sort of Church going forward, and that for me is the big question”. A different victim of Tudor, who wishes to remain anonymous, conveyed that she was “shocked and disappointed” to learn that his appointment as area dean had been extended twice while Mr Cottrell served as Bishop of Chelmsford. She stated, “These are not the actions of a bishop dealing with a situation that was intolerable to him, in fact, quite the opposite. I call on him to do the honourable thing for the sake of the Church and resign.” In 2015, during Mr Cottrell’s incumbency, Tudor was additionally designated an honorary canon of Chelmsford Cathedral. The Archbishop’s office maintained that this occurred due to an alteration in Church policy during Mr Cottrell’s period as Bishop of Chelmsford, which stipulated that area deans would automatically become honorary canons. It was characterized as “not a promotion and not a personal reward”. Nevertheless, a social media update from Tudor’s Canvey Island parish in July 2015 implies that it was perceived as an accolade there. The post declared, Tudor’s “hard work, determination and commitment to this place have been recognised by the diocese and this new position in the Church is very well-deserved.” The BBC has also reviewed documentation – specifically, leaked minutes from internal Church gatherings in 2018 and 2019 – indicating that Tudor’s designations as area dean and honorary canon were deliberated, and a proposition was made that Mr Cottrell could have promptly revoked them. During October 2018, a session held at Church House – the London principal office of the Church of England – was informed that the Chelmsford diocese held the opinion that if Tudor “can be a parish priest, he can undertake the other roles”. A bishop from a separate diocese commented, “the Bishop of Chelmsford could remove DT’s [David Tudor’s] canon and area dean titles straight away”. However, in a subsequent conversation in November 2018, the Chelmsford diocese counselled against this, deeming it unsuitable due to “the difficulty of removing those titles without explaining why.” When Mr Cottrell’s office was queried regarding his failure to act on the recommendation to revoke Tudor’s titles, the response was that “it would not be appropriate to comment on any notes or decisions from a core group process which are confidential”. The inquiry additionally underscored the considerable involvement of former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey in the matter. It was disclosed that Lord Carey had consented to Tudor’s reinstatement to the priesthood following his suspension in 1989, and had furthermore agreed to the removal of Tudor’s name from the roster of clergy who had undergone disciplinary measures. He had also championed the priest. Subsequent to the BBC presenting this information to the former Archbishop of Canterbury, he submitted a letter relinquishing his “permission to officiate”, thereby concluding over 65 years of service in the Church of England. Lord Carey issued this statement on Tuesday. In October 2024, Tudor confessed to sexual misconduct and was dismissed by the Church. He has consistently declined to respond to the BBC’s efforts to communicate with him. Further reporting was provided by Aleem Maqbool. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.