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| Bishops 'abuse cover-up' resignation call by alleged victim | Bishops 'abuse cover-up' resignation call by alleged victim |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A man who said he was raped as a teenager by a Church of England vicar is calling on four serving Bishops and the Archbishop of York to resign, citing allegations of misconduct. | A man who said he was raped as a teenager by a Church of England vicar is calling on four serving Bishops and the Archbishop of York to resign, citing allegations of misconduct. |
| Matt Ineson said church leaders did not act when he told them, nearly 30 years later, of the alleged abuse in 1984. | Matt Ineson said church leaders did not act when he told them, nearly 30 years later, of the alleged abuse in 1984. |
| He has lodged a complaint and protested outside York Minster at a General Synod gathering. | |
| The Church's national safeguarding team said it took the matter seriously. | The Church's national safeguarding team said it took the matter seriously. |
| The Reverend Trevor Devamanikkam was facing charges of rape but killed himself in June before his case came to court. | The Reverend Trevor Devamanikkam was facing charges of rape but killed himself in June before his case came to court. |
| He faced six charges relating to sexual assaults alleged to have taken place between March 1984 and April 1985, while a vicar in Bradford. | He faced six charges relating to sexual assaults alleged to have taken place between March 1984 and April 1985, while a vicar in Bradford. |
| Mr Ineson, who later became a vicar, alleged he had been raped aged 16. | Mr Ineson, who later became a vicar, alleged he had been raped aged 16. |
| In 2012, he said he told the Bishop of Sheffield, now Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, about the abuse. | In 2012, he said he told the Bishop of Sheffield, now Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, about the abuse. |
| 'Nothing to hide' | |
| A year later he said he also told the former Archdeacon of Sheffield and Rotherham, now Bishop of Leicester, Martyn Snow. | A year later he said he also told the former Archdeacon of Sheffield and Rotherham, now Bishop of Leicester, Martyn Snow. |
| He claims they failed to act and he filed complaints of misconduct with the Church in 2015. | He claims they failed to act and he filed complaints of misconduct with the Church in 2015. |
| They were lodged against Bishop Croft and Bishop Snow, in addition to the Bishop of Doncaster, Peter Burrows, the Bishop of Beverly, Glyn Webster, and Archbishop John Sentamu. | They were lodged against Bishop Croft and Bishop Snow, in addition to the Bishop of Doncaster, Peter Burrows, the Bishop of Beverly, Glyn Webster, and Archbishop John Sentamu. |
| However his complaints, filed under the Clergy Discipline Measure, were deemed to have failed because the allegations were more than a year old. | However his complaints, filed under the Clergy Discipline Measure, were deemed to have failed because the allegations were more than a year old. |
| A request for extension of the one-year time limit was refused by the Church. | A request for extension of the one-year time limit was refused by the Church. |
| Mr Ineson said: "Why would you object to being investigated if you had nothing to hide?" | Mr Ineson said: "Why would you object to being investigated if you had nothing to hide?" |
| Outside York Minster he told the BBC: "This is not historic, this is now and happening now. | |
| "I want safeguarding to be done properly, there should be an independent safeguarding authority for all institutions including the church." | |
| 'Very different' | 'Very different' |
| Bishop Croft told BBC Radio 4 his memory of conversations with Mr Ineson was "very different" to the complainant's. | |
| He said he would "genuinely value" an opportunity to meet Mr Ineson and he had "absolutely nothing to hide". | He said he would "genuinely value" an opportunity to meet Mr Ineson and he had "absolutely nothing to hide". |
| "I am very sorry he feels he wasn't heard and I'm sorry for the suffering that caused him. | |
| Bishop Snow said Mr Ineson's complaint had followed the "normal Church procedure" and there had been "huge investment of resources...into safeguarding." | |
| "I was asked to give evidence as indeed the other bishops were, the judge weighed up the evidence and he decided there was no case to answer," he added. | |
| A spokesperson for the Church's national safeguarding team said it had been in contact with Mr Ineson to offer support. | |
| "When Matthew wrote to Lambeth earlier this year, it was copied into a range of people and it was immediately taken up by the National Safeguarding Team, on behalf of the Archbishop," he said. | "When Matthew wrote to Lambeth earlier this year, it was copied into a range of people and it was immediately taken up by the National Safeguarding Team, on behalf of the Archbishop," he said. |
| "The Archbishop takes all safeguarding issues very seriously and met with Matthew at the end of last year. | "The Archbishop takes all safeguarding issues very seriously and met with Matthew at the end of last year. |
| "Since the police investigation has come to a close the Bishop of Oxford has also been in touch to offer to meet with him and discuss his case." | "Since the police investigation has come to a close the Bishop of Oxford has also been in touch to offer to meet with him and discuss his case." |