A Bishop of the Church of England in Liverpool, John Perumbalath, has been accused of s*xually harassing two women.
According to Channel 4 News, the church of England bishop responsible for overseeing discipline allegedly s*xually assaulted a woman on several occasions between 2019 and 2023 while he was a bishop in Essex.
Interim head of the church, Stephen Cottrell has been accused of a “cover up” after he became aware of the allegations before Perumbalath was enthroned as Bishop of Liverpool.
“[Perumbalath] held me there and k!ssed me forcefully on my mouth, which I did not like and I did not want,” the woman said of the first alleged instance at an away day in March 2019.
“I tried to move away, but he was holding my head too tightly. I could feel his mouth pressing on my mouth. I could feel some of his saliva, and the texture of his beard around my mouth.”
On another occasion, in May 2022, she claimed Perumbalath “ran his hands past the side of [her] breasts… until he reached the edge of the areola” after they hugged at the end of a meeting.
Describing another alleged encounter at a chapel music evening in January 2023, she said: “He pressed his face against my face, said ‘I love you’ quietly in my ear, and moved his mouth to just below my ear, on the pulse point on my neck.
“He opened his mouth, took a piece of my skin between his lips, and let go.”
Perumbalath denies the allegations, saying: “The allegations set out in this programme are in relation to encounters that took place in public settings, with other people present.
“I have consistently denied the allegations made against me by both complainants. I have complied with any investigation from the National Safeguarding Team. The allegations raised in Essex were also investigated by the Police who took no further action.
“Whilst I don’t believe I have done anything wrong, I have taken seriously the lessons learnt through this process addressing how my actions can be perceived by others. I will comply with any investigation deemed necessary.
“I take safeguarding very seriously and work hard to provide proper leadership in this area.”
The woman, who has not been named, reported Perumbalath, the Bishop of Bradwell, to police who interviewed him voluntarily under caution last March.
Police closed the investigation with no charges being brought due to insufficient evidence.
In early 2023, his accuser also reported Perumbalath to the Archdeach and other Church leaders, including its current interim head Stephen Cottrell, who served with Perumbalath in the diocese of Chelmsford.
By then, Perumbalath had already been announced as the new Bishop of Liverpool, but he was yet to be formally enthroned.
Cottrell said safeguarding guidelines were followed and no ongoing safeguarding concerns were identified, “but a learning outcome was identified with which the bishop fully engaged”.
A statement on behalf of him and the Church said: “The NST concluded that there was not sufficient evidence to bring a safeguarding-related complaint under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM) itself but offered the woman support if she wished to do so.
“The NST continues to have contact, at her request, with the woman who came forward and the offer of ongoing support remains.”
Another woman – one of the 31 women serving as Church of England bishops – has also accused Perumbalath of s£xually harassing her.
She also made a formal complaint, which a judge refused to allow because more than a year had passed since the alleged harassment.
Cottrell has already faced calls to resign last year over his handling of a s3xual abuse case when he was the Bishop of Chelmsford.
He had reportedly allowed a priest to keep his job despite knowing the Church had barred him from being alone with children and the priest had paid compensation to a s3xual abuse victim, the BBC reported.
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