I'm outraged Church of England leader called my abuser a 'Rolls Royce' priest

A pistillate who says she was sexually abused arsenic a kid by a clergyman says it is "absolutely outrageous" her alleged abuser was aboriginal praised by the antheral present starring the Church of England.

Kate – not her existent sanction - was reacting to grounds suggesting Stephen Cottrell, present Archbishop of York, "frequently" held up David Tudor arsenic "an exemplar of parish ministry".

The BBC besides understands that astatine a work successful 2018, Mr Cottrell referred to Tudor arsenic a "Rolls Royce priest" adjacent though helium knew the clergyman had paid a ample sum to an alleged maltreatment unfortunate and was banned by the Church from being unsocial with children.

In response, Mr Cottrell says helium "regrets immoderate upset oregon distress caused by erstwhile comments."

Following a caller BBC investigation, Mr Cottrell acknowledged helium knew of superior concerns astir Tudor successful 2010 erstwhile helium became Bishop of Chelmsford but said helium could not legally region him and described an "awful situation" helium "lived with each day".

Tudor was banned for beingness from the Church of England successful October aft helium admitted humanities enactment maltreatment allegations relating to 2 girls. He has not responded to the BBC's petition for comment.

Kate contacted the BBC past period aft proceeding our investigation into the aforesaid disgraced clergyman who she says abused her.

She was a pupil astatine the Surrey schoolhouse wherever David Tudor was chaplain successful the 1980s, which is erstwhile she says the intersexual maltreatment took place. She says it happened astir 10 times and included oral sex.

In 1988 Tudor went connected proceedings for indecently assaulting Kate from the property of 15. The clergyman denied the allegations but admitted helium had enactment with her erstwhile she was 16.

During that trial, past Bishop of Croydon Wilfred Wood appeared arsenic a quality witnesser for Tudor, describing him arsenic having "the utmost integrity", according to property reports. David Tudor was acquitted.

"Not a azygous subordinate of the religion offered to assistance oregon enactment me" says Kate. "Nobody asked however I was. In fact, rather the opposite."

She has copies of hatred message she and her household received from Church members, telling them to "rot successful hell" and says it led to them having to determination to a antithetic portion of the country.

But a period aft the trial, Tudor was backmost successful tribunal and this clip was convicted of indecently assaulting 3 different schoolgirls and jailed for six months.

No-one told immoderate of the girls, oregon Kate, that though helium served his afloat sentence, the convictions were aboriginal quashed connected method grounds due to the fact that the justice misdirected the jury.

An interior Church tribunal past banned Tudor from being a clergyman for intersexual misconduct, partially due to the fact that of his admittance of enactment with Kate erstwhile she was 16.

Kate was not informed of the process and was ne'er invited by the Church to springiness her ain relationship of events. Nevertheless she spent much than 30 years reasoning Tudor had been punished by the Church.

"I thought right, occupation done. He is ne'er going to enactment for the Church again, due to the fact that that antheral should not beryllium anyplace adjacent young people. That's however I near the communicative and went connected with the remainder of my life."

It was not until an net hunt successful July 2023 she learned Tudor was erstwhile again a priest, present successful the Chelmsford diocese. It was quality she recovered profoundly upsetting and she started to question answers arsenic to however helium was backmost successful ministry.

"I cannot archer you however re-traumatizing it has been since July 2023 trying to get answers from them," she says, adding that she felt it was "like talking to a chromatic wall".

She says the Church "weren't truly precise forthcoming", but erstwhile she learned Stephen Cottrell was Bishop of Chelmsford from 2010 she contacted him hoping helium could shed airy connected the matter. Mr Cottrell doubly refused requests to meet.

Kate was told it was inappropriate "because of on-going proceedings". This is thought to notation to a Church misconduct lawsuit into David Tudor that lasted into precocious 2024. But Kate says it "felt similar helium didn't judge me."

Kate past contacted David Greenwood, a solicitor specialising successful maltreatment cases, who advised her to marque a ceremonial ailment of misconduct nether the Church's disciplinary system.

Last February Kate filed 3 complaints: against Mr Cottrell, David Tudor and Wilfred Wood, the bishop who had been a quality witnesser for Tudor successful his trial.

Soon afterwards the Church told her determination would beryllium a tribunal proceeding into her ailment against David Tudor. Within the submissions sent to her successful effect was a missive from Tudor's wife, Sandra.

It says "when Archbishop Stephen Cottrell was Bishop of Chelmsford, helium would often clasp the parish of Canvey Island up arsenic an exemplar of religion maturation and parish ministry."

The archbishop's bureau says that arsenic this substance is taxable to an ongoing disciplinary process, it would not beryllium due to comment.

Sandra Tudor did not respond to the BBC's questions.

Because of what the Church describes arsenic "a superior administrative error", Kate lone received acknowledgement of her 2 different complaints (against Stephen Cottrell and Wilfred Wood) connected the precise time successful December connected which the BBC ran its investigation.

Many of her questions were past answered, but lone due to the fact that of the BBC report.

Kate learned that successful 1989 Tudor was lone banned for 5 years. He was allowed backmost by past Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey who discontinue his work arsenic a Church of England clergyman aft the BBC probe revealing his role.

She had besides been unaware that nether Stephen Cottrell, Tudor was twice reappointed to a elder role and had besides been made honorary canon of Chelmsford Cathedral.

Mr Cottrell is present Archbishop of York and presently de facto person of the Church, aft the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby stepped down implicit his handling of different maltreatment case.

Mr Cottrell has insisted helium did everything helium could to negociate the risks posed by David Tudor and suspended him arsenic soon arsenic helium was legally capable to.

That suspension started successful 2019 erstwhile a caller constabulary probe was opened into Tudor, who was by past an honorary canon of Chelmsford Cathedral and an country dean.

In a personal connection past month, Mr Cottrell said the concern helium faced was "horrible and intolerable".

His bureau besides told the BBC "it was an invidious concern that Stephen Cottrell lived with each time that helium was Bishop of Chelmsford until helium was capable to instrumentality action."

But others from Canvey Island person told the BBC they saw grounds Stephen Cottrell was publically supportive of the priest, respective years aft we present cognize helium knew of Tudor's abusive past.

One man, who does not privation to beryllium named, says successful January 2018 helium was 1 of astir 60 radical astatine a confirmation work astatine St Nicholas Church connected Canvey Island astatine which Mr Cottrell spoke alongside Tudor.

"As Bishop of Chelmsford helium was invited to preside implicit the work and was afloat of praise for David Tudor, including saying that we're precise fortunate to person David Tudor arsenic our priest, due to the fact that helium was a 'Rolls Royce priest', and helium stands retired acold supra galore others," helium says.

"Many of america were taken aback by what Stephen Cottrell had said and (it) has ever stuck successful my mind, particularly nowadays, with what's going on."

The BBC has independently received akin grounds astir the work from a 2nd individual.

When asked astir having utilized the words "Rolls Royce priest" to picture David Tudor astatine the 2018 service, Mr Cottrell's bureau responded by saying "the archbishop profoundly regrets immoderate upset oregon distress caused by erstwhile comments, including erstwhile they were unrelated to David Tudor's idiosyncratic conduct."

Kate is appalled by the remarks attributed to Mr Cottrell. She thinks helium should not beryllium the "figurehead of the Church" and indispensable beryllium held accountable for his "terrible decisions".

Similarly, she wants erstwhile Bishop of Croydon, Wilfred Wood to look sanction.

Last year, she received a missive from Bishop of Southwark Christopher Chessun saying helium regretted Bishop Wood had fixed a quality witnesser during the 1988 trial.

Mr Wood acknowledged to the BBC that helium gave grounds successful the proceedings involving Kate, but said helium did not callback the 2nd proceedings involving 3 different girls girls than one. "I uncertainty if I would person fixed specified a glowing notation had I known this to beryllium the case," helium said.

Mr Cottrell says helium is "appalled by David Tudor's maltreatment and the beingness agelong suffering it has caused his victims."

"I person ever expressed a willingness to conscionable with survivors and proceed to bash so. I americium profoundly grateful to each survivors and victims who person travel guardant to stock their experiences from the 1980s successful narration to David Tudor," Mr Cottrell says.

"The maltreatment by David Tudor was an appalling breach of trust, we recognise the courageousness of those who person travel guardant and are genuinely atrocious for the devastating effect connected their lives," said a Church of England spokesperson.

Meanwhile Kate is inactive searching for answers and wants the Church to amusement much humility.

"Even though I person spent the past 40 years doing rather a bully occupation of forgetting it, the mode the Church person handled this lawsuit and the mode they person treated me… has caused maine to person to retrieve it each again," she says.