An alleged abuse victim has said the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, is not fit for the job after the Church of England dismissed a complaint against her. The complainant, known as N, told the Guardian he will appeal against the decision to take no further action over claims that she mishandled his case.
Mullally, currently Bishop of London, is due to take up the post on 28 January following the resignation of Justin Welby over his own safeguarding failings. The complaint against Mullally was reviewed by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, who announced on Thursday that no further action would be taken.
N alleged that Mullally breached a church disciplinary code in 2019 by sending a confidential email about his complaint to the vicar concerned. He said this led to harassment that drove him to suicide attempts. The abuse he reported took place in 2005 and 2006, when he said the vicar groped him and asked him to perform a sexual act.
In response to the dismissal, N said Mullally and Cottrell should both step down, calling the decision "a betrayal of the Christian gospel". He argued that Cottrell had a conflict of interest, as N has also made a separate complaint against him regarding the same matter.
Robert Thompson, an Anglican vicar and General Synod member, called for a pause to Mullally's appointment. He said the decision "does not close the trust deficit" and would deepen concerns about the Church's disciplinary processes. The Diocese of London said proper processes had been followed, while Lambeth Palace attributed earlier failures to "administrative errors".
