The former Archbishop of York has been accused of covering up allegations that
a senior member of the Church of England had abused choirboys and school
pupils.Lord Hope of Thornes was told of the accusations against the Very Rev Robert Waddington, a former Dean of Manchester Cathedral who was made responsible for Church schools, in 1999 and then again in 2003.
The then archbishop did not refer the allegations to police or to child protection agencies, according to The Times.
Following the accusations, Lord Hope, who was then the second most senior bishop in the Church, revoked Waddington's right to conduct church services and also ordered internal investigations into the alleged abuse.
However, concerns over Waddington's state of health meant the Archbishop failed to report the case to the authorities. He now admits there "ought to have been" a report.
“I didn’t report to the police. With hindsight, probably there ought to have
been [a report]. He was in such a fragile and frail state,” Lord Hope said.
Internal reports within the Church show that Right Rev Nigel McCulloch, who
was the Bishop of Manchester at the time, was aware of the allegations made
by the family of a former cathedral chorister in 2003.
He then reported to the matter to his immediate superior, the Archbishop of York, as well as to his diocesan child protection officer.
Lord Hope, who was Archbishop of York from 1995 to 2005, did not take the allegations any further. However, he denied a cover-up, saying he had followed the procedure in place at the time.
He said: “I would strongly resist any suggestion that I was in the business of covering up anything. I would absolutely deny that. There’s no way I was interested in any cover up."
Greater Manchester Police have expressed concerns that the case was not reported to them while Waddington was still alive. The former dean died of throat cancer in 2007.
The force was only made aware of the allegations when a former Manchester choirboy, Eli Ward, reported his abuse to officers.
Mr Ward said this past week: “After so many years of suffering alone, I find myself in a position where the more research I do, the more shocking the cover-up of the Church.”
Mr Ward, 40, said he was groomed and abused by Waddington in the 1980s when he was a chorister in Manchester. He is taking legal action against The Diocese of Manchester.
The Diocese of Manchester said that it was aware of “allegations of abuse from the past against a former dean of Manchester Cathedral and we are working co-operatively with the parties concerned”.
He then reported to the matter to his immediate superior, the Archbishop of York, as well as to his diocesan child protection officer.
Lord Hope, who was Archbishop of York from 1995 to 2005, did not take the allegations any further. However, he denied a cover-up, saying he had followed the procedure in place at the time.
He said: “I would strongly resist any suggestion that I was in the business of covering up anything. I would absolutely deny that. There’s no way I was interested in any cover up."
Greater Manchester Police have expressed concerns that the case was not reported to them while Waddington was still alive. The former dean died of throat cancer in 2007.
The force was only made aware of the allegations when a former Manchester choirboy, Eli Ward, reported his abuse to officers.
Mr Ward said this past week: “After so many years of suffering alone, I find myself in a position where the more research I do, the more shocking the cover-up of the Church.”
Mr Ward, 40, said he was groomed and abused by Waddington in the 1980s when he was a chorister in Manchester. He is taking legal action against The Diocese of Manchester.
The Diocese of Manchester said that it was aware of “allegations of abuse from the past against a former dean of Manchester Cathedral and we are working co-operatively with the parties concerned”.