Bishop of Liverpool quits amid sexual assault claims

The Bishop of Liverpool has resigned after he was accused of sexual assault and harassment.

- JANE DALTON

One woman accused the Right Reverend Dr John Perumbalath of kissing her without consent and groping her, and another woman accused him of sexual harassment, according to Channel 4 News.

Bishop Perumbalath, who denies all the claims, said he had decided to retire without any admission of fault or liability, but to avoid the issue being “a distraction”.

The Church of England has faced a storm over safeguarding failures, including the resignation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury over his handling of a separate case.

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, has also faced calls to quit over his alleged failure to handle abuse cases properly.