The Charity Commission has issued its first-ever official warnings against Church of England diocesan charities, citing serious failures in how they handled sexual assault and harassment allegations against a senior bishop.
Watchdog Issues Unprecedented Reprimand
The Liverpool Diocesan Board of Finance and the Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance have been formally reprimanded by the charity regulator. The action follows an investigation into how allegations against John Perumbalath were managed. Mr Perumbalath was the Bishop of Liverpool and, prior to that, the Bishop of Bradwell within the Chelmsford diocese.
Both organisations are registered charities with the core aim of promoting the Church of England's work in their areas. The Commission found that trustees in both charities who were aware of the allegations failed to take appropriate action, leaving their full boards unable to assess risks or decide on a proper course of action.
Details of the Allegations and Resignation
The case came to public attention after a Channel 4 News report in the previous year. One woman accused Mr Perumbalath of kissing her without consent and groping her, while another accused him of sexual harassment. In January 2025, John Perumbalath stepped down as Bishop of Liverpool. He did so without admitting any fault or liability.
His resignation occurred during a period of significant turmoil for the Church over various safeguarding scandals. This included the departure of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury just months earlier, linked to the mishandling of a separate case.
Systemic Failures Identified
The Charity Commission stated the failings "amount to mismanagement in the administration of the two charities". It highlighted a critical lack of proper procedures and processes for safeguarding oversight.
Specifically, the watchdog found the Chelmsford charity had a "failure ongoing over a period of about two years" to report a serious incident. This related to a complaint made in January 2023 about allegations of sexual misconduct by Mr Perumbalath during his time as Bishop of Bradwell.
Regarding the Liverpool charity, trustees "failed to consider or investigate" a complaint and did not act in the charity's best interests to protect people from harm.
David Holdsworth, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, 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." He confirmed the regulator would continue to engage with both charities as they address the concerns.
