Two Church of England charities received warnings from the Charity Commission regarding their handling of allegations against a former bishop accused of inappropriate behavior. The Diocesan Boards of Finance for Liverpool and Chelmsford were criticized for their failure to adequately address safeguarding concerns related to John Perumbalath. Perumbalath resigned as Bishop of Liverpool amid accusations from two women, one of whom claimed he kissed and groped her without consent, while the other accused him of sexual harassment.
The Charity Commission reprimanded the charities for their mishandling of the allegations, marking the first time the regulator issued an official warning to a Church of England diocese. The commission highlighted shortcomings in the charities’ procedures, stating that trustees were aware of the allegations but did not take necessary actions to assess risks and make informed decisions.
Both diocesan charities lacked proper processes for safeguarding and oversight, leading to a failure to address serious allegations against Perumbalath. The Chelmsford charity faced criticism for not reporting a serious incident involving allegations of sexual misconduct by Perumbalath, while the Liverpool charity failed to investigate complaints against him.
In response to the warnings, Bishop of Chelmsford Guli Francis-Dehqani and the diocesan safeguarding officer expressed disagreement with some of the commission’s findings but committed to enhancing procedures. Trustees of the Liverpool charity accepted the findings, apologized for the identified shortcomings, and pledged to improve reporting and governance processes.
Perumbalath, who denied the allegations, emphasized his cooperation with the Church’s safeguarding team and his commitment to learning from the experience. The Church of England stated its dedication to addressing regulatory recommendations related to safeguarding responsibilities within the organization.