Allegations of misconduct have surfaced against Paul Butler, the former Bishop of Durham, in light of revelations about the mishandling of abuse claims concerning John Smyth. Smyth, who passed away in 2018, is accused of committing abuse spanning several decades across Britain and Africa.
The Church of England’s response to the Smyth scandal has been severely criticized. A report, known as the Makin Review, scrutinized the church’s handling and led to Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s resignation. The review concluded that Welby did not take adequate measures after learning of the allegations.
Welby acknowledged shortcomings, saying he “personally failed to ensure … [that] the awful tragedy was energetically investigated.” Despite accepting overall responsibility, Welby disputed some findings of the Makin Review, highlighting that the accusations were indeed reported to authorities, and the police advised the Church to refrain from further probing to avoid interfering with their investigations.
Nevertheless, Welby is not the sole figure criticized for failures in managing the Smyth case. A total of seven clergy members are currently undergoing disciplinary actions under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM), as noted by the Makin Review.
Among these clergy is Paul Butler, who previously served as a lead bishop for safeguarding. The complaint lodged against him stems from details presented in the Makin Review, prompting a request for Butler to “step back” from ministry duties in 2024.
According to a statement from the CDM, “At the commencement of the hearing before the Court of the Vicar General of York to consider a complaint brought against him by the National Director of Safeguarding, Mr Alexander Kubeyinje, the Rt Rev Paul Butler entered admissions to the allegations of misconduct.”
The statement continued, “The hearing was then adjourned and a further hearing to consider a penalty will be listed in due course.”
Possible penalties discussed by the CDM range from a conditional discharge to a lifetime ban from ministry and removal from office.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
