Charities Warned Over Handling of Misconduct Claims against Bishop

Two Church of England charities have been issued official warnings over serious safeguarding failings linked to allegations against a former bishop.

The Charity Commission reprimanded the Diocesan Boards of Finance for Liverpool and Chelmsford over their handling of claims against John Perumbalath.

The regulator said both charities failed to properly manage safeguarding risks tied to allegations of sexual misconduct.

Perumbalath stepped down as Bishop of Liverpool in 2025 following complaints from two women. He did so without any admission of fault or liability.

One woman alleged he repeatedly kissed her without consent and groped her. Another accused him of sexual harassment, Channel 4 News reported.

The second complainant later identified herself as Beverley Mason, then Bishop of Warrington. She announced her resignation in September.

In a statement issued in January 2025, Mason said: “A bishop cannot be above the law.”

The allegations emerged during a turbulent period for the Church of England.

Only months earlier, Justin Welby resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury over a separate safeguarding case.

Perumbalath previously served as Bishop of Bradwell in the Diocese of Chelmsford. He has consistently denied the allegations and said he cooperated fully with safeguarding investigations.

The Charity Commission warnings mark the first time any Church of England diocese has received an official warning. The watchdog said the failings “amount to mismanagement in the administration of the two charities”.

In both cases, the commission said trustees failed to act despite knowing about the allegations. This was due to a lack of appropriate safeguarding procedures and processes.

The regulator said trustees did not take action that would have allowed boards to assess risks properly. As a result, they could not decide on appropriate steps to protect those involved.

The commission added there were “insufficient processes and procedures in place to ensure adequate oversight of safeguarding”. It also cited failures to protect people who came into contact with the charities.

In Chelmsford, the commission found an ongoing failure lasting around two years. Trustees did not report a serious incident linked to a January 2023 complaint.

That complaint related to allegations of sexual misconduct by Perumbalath while he was Bishop of Bradwell.

In Liverpool, trustees were found to have failed to consider or investigate a complaint against Perumbalath. The commission said they did not act in the charity’s best interests.

It also concluded they failed to take reasonable steps to protect people from harm.

Commission chief executive David Holdsworth said: “In the two diocesan charities, lack of appropriate policies and procedures led to a failure to ensure that serious allegations against a senior figure were properly considered by the relevant trustee bodies.

“We will further engage with both charities as they continue to take steps to address our concerns.”

Bishop of Chelmsford Guli Francis-Dehqani and safeguarding officer Amanda Knight issued a joint response. They said they “respectfully disagree” with some conclusions.

They described the warning as “disproportionate” and said they were “disappointed” by the decision. They insisted their handling of the “complex case” was “robust and survivor-led”.

However, they said they were “committed to working with the regulator to improve our procedures”. They added many changes had already been made or were underway.

Trustees for the Liverpool charity accepted the commission’s findings. They said they “apologise for the shortcomings identified”.

They committed to “ongoing learning” and said changes had already strengthened reporting and governance processes.

The Church of England said it takes “very seriously any communication and recommendation from a regulatory body”. It added this applied to all parts of the Church with legal safeguarding responsibilities.

In January 2025, Perumbalath reiterated his position in a statement:

“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.”