The incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, has come under pressure over her handling of past safeguarding cases.
Some of these cases have been scrutinised this week by Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman, particularly that of Father Alan Griffin, a rector in the City of London who took his own life in 2020 after being falsely accused of child abuse. Senior Coroner Mary Hassell later ruled that there was no evidence to support the claims and that Fr Griffin had "killed himself because he could not cope with an investigation into his conduct, the detail of and the source for which he had never been told".
Channel 4 News said his name was included in a dossier - known as The Two Cities Report - "compiled in secret" by a former head of operations in the London Diocese, and that the information in the document was a mix of criminal convictions, serious safeguarding concerns, and "tittle tattle". The head of operations left his post soon after Mullally became Bishop of London.
Fr Griffin's close friend Nicholas Sabine told Channel 4 News that "the lies that were spread within the Church about [Fr Griffin] would have been devastating to him", and that Griffin had been "crushed" by the "institution" of the Church of England.
“Large institutions put the institution first," he told Newman.
Mullally reportedly claimed in a secretly recorded meeting with another priest concerned about his name being in the dossier that she had received the document but never read it because she was aware that some of the contents were gossip. The Diocese of London has since told Channel 4 News that she did not read the report "because its contents needed to be properly assessed by safeguarding professionals and the Diocesan Registrar. She confirms she was informed which members of the clergy had been named so that she could write to them and meet with them if they wished".
Some clergy do not believe that she did not read the report, but another London priest, the Rev Robert Thompson, told Channel 4 News that either way would be a failing.
“The issue is did she read the report? If she didn’t read the report, that shows that she was not taking her responsibility as a bishop properly," he said.
“If she did read the report and did nothing about it all, that also shows that she has done nothing in relation to her proper responsibility as a bishop about the report."
The coroner's report pointed to “systemic and individual failings”, and at the time Mullally apologised and ordered an independent review into the London Diocese's handling of safeguarding complaints.
The latest reports have led to calls for her appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury to be halted. Mullally is first woman to be elected Archbishop of Canterbury. A formal election ceremony is due to take place at St Paul’s Cathedral on 28 January 2026, followed by her formal installation at Canterbury Cathedral in March.
In light of Channel 4 News' reporting this week, Mullally apologised again.
In a statement she said, "In 2022, following the publication of the independent report into Fr Alan Griffin’s death, I apologised unreservedly to his family and friends. I repeat that apology today.
“Ever since I became Bishop of London in 2018, and before, I have spoken publicly about the clear need for independent scrutiny of safeguarding across the Church of England. That is why I commissioned the Robson Report into Fr Alan’s death, to examine exactly what went wrong in the tragic run-up to November 2020. The public recommendations from the independent report in 2022 have been vital ever since in driving forward change across the Diocese of London. That change has been embedded in the Diocesan Safeguarding Team today, as has the need for continuous safeguarding improvement and culture change.
“Nevertheless, I understand why now, as I prepare to become Archbishop of Canterbury, there will be renewed scrutiny of past cases, and especially my role. As I said when announced as the next Archbishop on the 3rd October 2025, we must all be willing to have light shone on our actions, regardless of our role in the Church.
“I continue to be determined to improve safeguarding across the Church of England. In this Diocese, as part of an ongoing programme across all dioceses, we have recently undergone an independent safeguarding audit by INEQE. We will want to use its findings and recommendations, which will be made public, to build on the progress made to date.”
The Church of England’s lead safeguarding bishop, Joanne Grenfell, stood by Mullally. She is confident that changes have been made in the Diocese of London.
“As Bishop of Stepney, I worked alongside Bishop Sarah in the Diocese of London from 2019 to 2025. During that time, I witnessed her commitment to good safeguarding, to ensuring proper safeguarding systems and processes, and to shaping a healthier culture across the diocese," she said.
“Notable changes included increasing resourcing for the diocesan safeguarding team and creating a multi-background, skilled team with excellent oversight of casework and decision making. Governance was also strengthened, with regular oversight and scrutiny from an independently chaired Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel and from the Bishop’s Council.
“The diocese is a large and complex organization, and Bishop Sarah clearly inherited a culture where, in places, light had not been shone on unacceptable behaviour. She was utterly committed and principled in setting about changing that culture and ensuring that any concerns were addressed with rigour.
“In her response to recent news reports, I continue to see Bishop Sarah’s commitment to honesty and transparency in safeguarding, a commitment which I am glad she will also bring to the role of Archbishop of Canterbury.”
