Today, the President of Tribunals has published his determination following a CDM complaint brought against me. I recognise that this process may have been difficult for the complainant, and I want to acknowledge the courage it takes to come forward and the pain that safeguarding failures can cause.

Mr Tudor shouldn’t have been allowed back into ministry in the 1980s. However, in relation to the way in which I handled this difficult situation, the President of Tribunals, an independent Court of Appeal Judge, concluded that there is no case to answer and no possibility of a tribunal finding I committed misconduct. In the course of his written determination, he found that my decisions in relation to Mr Tudor were wholly focused on managing risk and were taken in accordance with legal and professional safeguarding advice given to me at the time. When I was able to act, I removed Mr Tudor from active ministry. 

I welcome scrutiny of my decisions. We all have much to learn from this case. There are some things I wish I had done differently. I am sorry that the reappointment of Mr Tudor as Area Dean did not sufficiently consider the impact on those he had harmed. With today’s trauma-informed understanding – which rightly places greater emphasis on listening carefully to survivors and recognising the lasting harm caused by abuse – I would take a different approach now.

Safeguarding standards within the Church of England have changed and improved significantly since Mr Tudor was allowed back to ministry in the 1980s. I am committed to ensuring that this progress continues as we strive towards a safer Church. I remain committed to meeting with victims and survivors to learn from their experiences and to strengthen safeguarding practice, and I am grateful to those who have come forward to share their experiences.

The President’s full decision is published here 

Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York