Matt Ineson, a survivor of alleged sexual abuse by a deceased Church of England vicar, has responded angrily to a Church official's note about him sent to all members of the General Synod, which meets in York this weekend.
Earlier today, Christian Today revealed details of a tormented, thirteenth letter he has sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
Archbishop Welby met the survivor last year and the Church of England, which is conducting an internal review into its handling of his case, has put him in regular contact with its National Safeguarding Team (NST).
Ineson, who has recently waived his anonymity after being known in previous media reports as 'Michael', was the victim while a teenager of abuse three decades ago by a retired vicar, Trevor Devamanikkam, who was found to have committed suicide last month after he failed to attend court.
Last year Ineson lodged complaints of misconduct against the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, and four serving bishops, claiming that they had failed to act on his disclosures of rape.
According to Ineson, he disclosed the allegations of rape to Peter Burrows, the bishop of Doncaster, and Steven Croft, the then bishop of Sheffield and now bishop of Oxford, in 2012. The following year he disclosed to Martyn Snow, the then archdeacon of Sheffield and Rotherham, now bishop of Leicester.
The complaints, made under the C of E's clergy disciplinary measure, were dismissed because they were filed outside of the one-year limit required by the Church.
Ineson has sent a leaflet – Rape, Sexual, Physical & Emotional Abuse... ...and the church cover up that goes on today – to all members of the Synod outlining his case, the handling of which is being internally reviewed by the Church.
Yesterday Graham Tilby, the Church's National Safeguarding Officer, himself wrote to all members of the Synod as well as all diocesan safeguarding advisers and diocesan secretaries and chief executives about the leaflet.
Tilby wrote that the leaflet 'will rightly cause you to be concerned for Michael's wellbeing' adding, 'It is his own, personal account of events and subsequent response by the Church.'
Tilby went on: 'I can assure you the matter has been take seriously; Archbishop Justin had a private, pastoral meeting with him in November last year and Bishop Steven Croft has written to Michael offering a personal meeting with him.
'There is an ongoing CDM [Clergy Discipline Measure] process underway and this therefore limits the ability of the Church corporately or of some individuals to say very much more and it is therefore not appropriate to respond publicly in detail to the issues that Michael raises. The allegations of abuse have been managed through a Church of England Core Group and in collaboration with the police; charges were due to be brought against Trevor Devamanikkam. Michael has been offered support and will continue to be offered support, although to this date he has not wanted this from the Church. The core group is now considering the most appropriate process for identifying lessons to be learnt from Michael's experience.
'I am sorry that I cannot provide you with more information. You may feel it appropriate to respond directly to Michael but I would ask that if you do feel this to be necessary, to first take advice about the issues raised in this leaflet from your Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser.
'It goes without saying that if you do meet Michael at Synod (he has said that he may attend), then please treat him with the compassion and care that he deserves.'
Now Ineson, who is set to protest outside York Minster on Sunday, has written to Tilby complaining about the note.
'I suspect I'm not meant to see it but I have been sent it by several members of synod along with many messages of support by email and telephone,' he writes. 'I have been quite overwhelmed by the support received over the past 24-hours and many members of synod have indicated that they do intend to come out of the minster to speak to us on Sunday...
'If I may offer my critique of your email because when read carefully I think it says a lot. I have simply spelled out the true history of events to date. My hand was forced to go public by the many times I have been ignored especially in my letters to Justin Welby.
'You have put in your email that I met with Justin Welby last year. This makes me wonder if you have read the leaflet at all as in it I say what happened at that meeting and what a waste of time it was. At the meeting Justin Welby didn't even know Devamanikkams name, he had to ask who 'TD' was! Therefore that meeting is hardly something you can rely on to show support for me.
'Steven Croft sent me an email last week offering to meet...exactly the same as he did at Oxford one week before his enthronement because (if I may have my sceptical hat on!) he knows we are going to York and the media are very interested...
Ineson acknowledges that he has been offered support from safeguarding officials in the Church. But, he says: 'I did turn down the support...because I do not trust the church and also to be quite honest it was too little too late.'
He adds: 'Your final comment to treat me with the compassion and respect I deserve is gratefully received...but again five years too late. Where has it been all that time?
Ineson concludes: 'In my case alone a youngster was raped several times and someone has died. How bad does it have to get?'
The Church of England declined to respond further to the exchange.
