The Charity Commission has taken "regulatory action” against two Church of England dioceses due to alleged safeguarding failures relating to allegations made against the former Bishop of Liverpool.
Dr John Perumbalath resigned in January of last year following allegations of inappropriate behaviour by two women. Dr Perumbalath has maintained his innocence in the matter.
One woman claimed Dr Perumbalath kissed her without consent and groped her in Chelmsford, while Perumbalath was serving as Bishop of Bradwell. A Church of England investigation found that Perumbalath had “no case to answer”.
Allegations of sexual assault by the second woman, another bishop, the Rt Rev Bev Mason, went un-investigated as the Church said the legal timeframe had expired.
Both the Liverpool Diocesan Board of Finance and the Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance have now been censured by the Charity Commission due to their handling of the complaints.
The Commission said, “[In] both charities there was a failure to properly handle safeguarding allegations and to maintain appropriate oversight of safeguarding by the trustees.”
It added, “In both instances, due to lack of appropriate procedures and processes, those trustees who knew of the allegations failed to take action that would have allowed the trustee boards to fully consider any risks and make a decision on the appropriate action to take.”
The Commission added that the allegations were not reported as serious incidents in 2023 when they first arose, but in 2025 following stories in the media.
Taken together, the Commission said this amounted to “mismanagement” and that both charities would be required to improve their policies and practices, with regular updates on progress provided to the Commission.
Responding to the Commission, the Bishop of Chelmsford said in a statement that she “respectfully disagrees” with some of the findings, adding that an official warning was “disproportionate”, while pledging to cooperate with the Commission’s processes.
“We take safeguarding in the Diocese of Chelmsford extremely seriously and our response to this complex case involving a former bishop in the Diocese was robust and survivor led," she said.
"We offered support for a complaint under the Clergy Discipline Measure and believe that the matter was handled appropriately; we escalated the matter and sought appropriate advice.
“We worked closely with and supported the National Safeguarding Team when they took over the case, shortly after the complainant’s concern was first reported in Chelmsford Diocese.”
The Chair of Trustees, Liverpool Diocesan Board of Finance: "We accept the Commission’s findings and apologise for the shortcomings identified.
"We have already made changes to strengthen reporting and governance processes, and we commit to ongoing learning, accountability and continuous improvement.
"The Diocese of Liverpool is dedicated to ensuring that the church is a safe and inclusive environment where concerns can be raised in a culture of accountability, transparency and compassion."
