n July 2015 Dowling was convicted of child sex abuse and sent to prison.[35] Several bishops failed to take action over Dowling possibly because there was not an earlier prosecution.[14] A few days later the Bishop of Durham said at a church synod that the 2003 abolition of defrocking may have been a mistake; it had been abolished over concerns about wrongful convictions.[36]
In October 2015, Ball was sentenced to 32 months' imprisonment for sexual abuse after admitting the abuse of 18 young men over a period of 15 years from 1977 to 1992.[37][18][38][39] Further charges of indecently assaulting two boys, aged 13 and 15, were allowed to lie on file in a contentious decision by the CPS.[40] Vickery House, was also convicted in October 2015 and was sentenced to serve 61⁄2 years in prison for sex assaults against men and a boy. House worked in the same diocese as Ball. House and Ball collaborated in abusing three victims. If Ball had not pleaded guilty both men would have been tried together.[41] There was a long delay between the first complaints to the police over House and a proper police investigation.[42]
The Anglican Diocese of Portsmouth had a number of sexual abuse convictions in the 1980s and 1990s.[43] Bishop Timothy Bavin was the bishop between 1985 and 1996 and during this time a number of serious safeguarding issues took place. For example, Bavin did not report Father Terry Knight to the police when parents raised their concerns to him in 1985.[43] Father Knight was allowed to carry on in his position until he was later convicted for sexually abusing boys in 1996 and again in 2016.[44] Bavin had also allowed a convicted paedophile priest, Father Michael Gover, to carry on working for the church on his release in 1990. Father Gover was convicted in 1985 at around the same time as parents raised their concerns about Father Knight.[45] Bavin stood down in 1995 whilst Father Terry Knight's police investigation and court case was taking place.[46]
In March 2016, the "first independent review commissioned by the Church of England into its handling of a sex abuse case" issued a 21-page report by Ian Elliott, a safeguarding expert. The Church published only its conclusions and recommendations and "acknowledged the report was 'embarrassing and uncomfortable' reading". The review centred on the case of "Joe" – described in the report as survivor "B". In July 2014, Joe had "reported the abuse to the church’s safeguarding officers". He sued the church in October 2015. The church paid £35,000 in compensation and called the abuse is "a matter of deep shame and regret".[47][48]
The review criticised the office of Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. It said that Welby's office failed "to respond meaningfully to repeated efforts by the survivor throughout 2015 to bring his case to the church leader’s attention".[citation needed]
Speaking on behalf of the church, Sarah Mullally, Bishop of Crediton, said that Welby has made "a personal commitment to seeing all the recommendations implemented quickly". The eleven recommendations included (1) training clergy (especially those in senior positions) to keep records and take action for those who report abuse and (2) the church should insure that "pastoral care of survivors takes precedence over protection of reputation or financial considerations". Bishop Mullally "is drawing up an action plan to implement the report's proposals, covering education and training, communication and structural change".[47][48]
