Church of England Admits Fault, Apologizes to Sex Abuse Victims: 'There Are No Excuses'
The Church of England has released a report admitting that some of its top leaders helped to cover up the sexual abuse of children by one of its former bishops over an extended period of time.
Titled "An Abuse of Faith," the report details how former bishop Peter Ball persuaded other church leaders to overlook his abusive behavior, using a variety of strategies including smearing his accusers, pretending to be in poor health and exaggerating his connections with the Royal family.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the head of the Church of England, apologized to the former bishop's victims as the report came out, CBN News reported.
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"The Church colluded and concealed rather than seeking to help those who were brave enough to come forward," said Welby. "There are no excuses whatsoever for what took place and the systematic abuse of trust perpetrated by Peter Ball over decades."
Although Ball was initially arrested in 1992 for suspected indecent assault, leading to his retirement as bishop of Gloucester, he continued to be in contact with children for years through work in churches and schools. It took two decades before he was prosecuted.
The report notes that the head of the church at the time, George Carey, believed that Ball was "basically innocent," which led to his return to the church.
The report says many of Ball's victims were adults but cites "clear accounts of him sexually abusing schoolboys," many of whom were still learning about their faith.
"His betrayal of both their personal commitment to him and their unfolding relationship with religious faith cannot but have caused enduring harm for some of them," the report stated.
According to the testimonies of his victims, Ball encouraged them to engage in abusive "spiritual exercises" like praying naked. One of his victims, Neil Todd, committed suicide.
Ball was convicted and imprisoned in 2015 for indecent assaults against teenagers and young men from the 1970s to the 1990s as well as misconduct in public office.
Ball, 85, eventually admitted to abusing 18 young men. He was released after serving 16 months in jail.
