A trainee priest who embarked on a “Baby Reindeer-style” campaign of stalking and harassment, leaving her victim fearing he would be murdered, was endorsed by a Scottish bishop at the centre of bullying allegations.
Venessa Pinto sent dozens of threatening, obscene and sexually explicit messages and images to a fellow church member after he rebuffed her advances.
Pinto, 30, falsely accused Jay Hulme of racism and theft, posted his address online and urged him to drink rat poison during a 21-month hate campaign after he politely told her he was gay and had no romantic interest in her.
She was elected to the Church of England’s governing body, the general synod, but stood down before pleading guilty to causing serious distress and harm by stalking and sending more than 100 unwanted messages to Hulme between 2021 and 2023.
It emerged that Pinto was formally installed as a “pioneer minister” by the Right Rev Anne Dyer shortly after she became the Anglican bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney in 2018. Church insiders claimed that Dyer vouched for Pinto’s character, despite serious concerns being raised over her conduct, and facilitated her move from northeast Scotland to Leicester, where she met her victim.
Gerry Bowyer, the former rector of St Devenick’s Church in Aberdeen, said Pinto’s 16-month stint in the city proved disastrous. “It quickly became clear that Venesssa was not suited to this kind of role,” he said. “She would not do the work we were asking her to do and was prone to outbursts of anger. A neighbour of hers even got in contact to raise concerns about her abusive behaviour.”
Bowyer made an official complaint about Pinto, who in turn accused him of racism and bullying. One investigation found no evidence to support her claims but suggested he should have done more to support her, while another concluded she had anger management problems. “There is absolutely no way that Bishop Anne did not know what was going on,” Bowyer claimed.
A church member said: “When Venessa found out that a complaint had been lodged against her, the very first thing she did was to call Bishop Anne to ask for help.”
Pinto’s wages were paid by the Church Army, an independent Anglican evangelical group, but she worked directly with Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) staff and was personally licensed by Dyer to carry out her duties.
Bowyer was left so distressed and disillusioned by the episode that he left his job and cut all ties with the SEC. “I could have stayed in ministry but it got to the point where I was spending most of my time looking over my shoulder, “ he told The Sunday Times. “I was exhausted, my wellbeing was suffering and I just didn’t have the emotional capacity to carry on.”
He continues to perform lay preaching with independent churches but embarked on a completely different career. “I’ve gone from being the rector of a beautiful parish and a leader in the church to driving a truck to pay the rent,” he said. “I don’t feel safe to work [in the SEC]. I feel that my vocation was stolen from me.”
It is understood the Church Army only provided a generic reference for Pinto. A Church of England insider said: “Because there was no specific personal detail about Venessa, contact was made with the diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney. They were asked whether there were any concerns over her and we were told there was nothing to worry about. Bishop Anne effectively vouched for her and she got the job in Leicester.”
Pinto sent a barrage of messages to Hulme after she took up her new role as a licensed lay minister.
One read: “Go and kill yourself. That will make my life so much easier. DIE!!! I mean it, monster.” Another said: “I will make your life hell, I promise you. You could also drink rat poison. That’s a painless way of dying.”
Read it all in the Sunday Times