Now Church's No2 the Archbishop of York is urged to step down for 'ignoring 11 separate complaints' - after Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby was forced to quit
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, the CofE’s second most senior figure, is accused of ‘ignoring’ 11 separate complaints, some involving leading figures in the Church
November 16, 2024
By CAMERON CHARTERS
The Church of England faced further turmoil last night after the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell was urged to resign over his handling of abuse cases.
The demand comes after the CofE’s leader, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, was forced to quit last week over a cover-up in a child abuse scandal.
Archbishop Cottrell, the CofE’s second most senior figure, is accused of ‘ignoring’ 11 separate complaints, some involving leading figures in the Church, including bishops.
In a devastating intervention, Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, who led an independent body probing abuse in the CofE, said she had repeatedly raised concerns with Archbishop Cottrell, 66, but argued he left victims ‘in the wilderness’. She claims in an interview with The Mail on Sunday that she had a similar response from Mr Welby, 68.
She said: ‘I sat down with both archbishops and poured my heart out, saying we need help. It went unheard – they have chosen to look the other way.
‘The real currency of leadership is transparency and trust. Sadly,
Stephen [Cottrell] has not demonstrated either with survivors.
‘I believe stepping down is the most appropriate thing to do.’
Last week some clerics warned others might need to quit and called for ‘institutional changes’.
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