Child Abuse Blackburn Priest Bought Off with 6 Figure Sum by Church of England

[Social Media]

 

In a recent investigation, the Church of England has found itself at the center of a deeply troubling controversy involving a priest, Canon Andrew Hindley, who has been assessed as a potential risk to children and young people. This issue has sparked intense scrutiny over the Church's handling of such sensitive matters, revealing a complex web of allegations, legal maneuvers, and internal discord.

 

Canon Hindley served in the Blackburn diocese from 1991 to 2021, during which time he was subjected to five police investigations. These investigations were related to allegations of sexual assault, yet despite the gravity of these claims, Hindley was never charged with any criminal offenses. He has consistently maintained his innocence, asserting that he has never posed any safeguarding risk to anyone. Nevertheless, the controversy surrounding him has cast a long shadow over the Church, raising questions about its ability to protect the vulnerable.

 

 

The Church's response to the situation has been met with significant criticism. A senior member of staff at Blackburn Cathedral, Rowena Pailing, resigned over a financial settlement made to Canon Hindley, citing it as a betrayal of the Church's duty to protect victims and survivors. Pailing, who served as the cathedral's vice-dean and head of safeguarding, described the concerns about the priest as "an open secret" among senior clergy. She was particularly disturbed by the Church's decision to prioritize its reputation and the protection of the alleged abuser over the care and support of victims.

 

 

The former Bishop of Blackburn, Julian Henderson, defended the financial settlement as the "only option" left to the Church to protect children and vulnerable young people from the risk posed by Canon Hindley. However, this decision has sparked outrage and concern, not only from within the Church but also from those who have been following the case closely. The archbishops of Canterbury and York have acknowledged the need for the Church to learn from its past mistakes and are still working to get Church processes right.

 

 

Despite the Church's efforts to manage the situation, the BBC's investigation revealed several alarming findings. It was discovered that restrictions placed on Canon Hindley, which banned him from choir schools and school visits, were never properly monitored. Additionally, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, had backed a plan to close Blackburn Cathedral if Hindley were to return to work following his suspension. This drastic measure underscores the seriousness of the situation and the Church's struggle to find a resolution.

 

 

The investigation also uncovered that three Lancashire bishops had complained about the influence of certain networks in facilitating Hindley's continued ministry, and there had been previous attempts to pay the priest to leave, dating back more than 15 years. In 2022, Canon Hindley was offered a significant financial settlement of £240,000, although the final amount remains undisclosed due to non-disclosure agreements.

 

 

The Church's decision to settle legal action brought by Hindley in response to its earlier attempt to force his retirement was the tipping point for Rowena Pailing, who could no longer reconcile her role with the Church's actions. Speaking publicly for the first time about the case, she expressed her devastation at the message the payment sent to victims and survivors.

 

Pailing revealed that when she was first offered her job in 2018, she was warned about serious safeguarding concerns and allegations against a priest, which spanned a period of about 25 years. However, she quickly realized that the Church had no real plan to address these concerns, and that the issue had become an open secret within the institution.

 

Internal Church of England documents obtained by the BBC further exposed the extent of the problem. A 2009 cathedral inspection concluded that Canon Hindley "may pose a threat to young men" and to the cathedral's reputation. Despite this, the Church failed to take definitive action, allowing Hindley to remain in his position as Canon Sacrist, where he continued to plan services and manage staff, all while living in a cathedral townhouse.

 

Over the years, Lancashire Police opened five investigations into Canon Hindley, each involving serious allegations of sexual misconduct. In 1991, Hindley was accused of having sex with a 17-year-old boy, which was illegal at the time as the age of consent for gay men was 21. In 2000, another allegation surfaced, this time involving a 15-year-old boy. Both investigations were ultimately dropped after the alleged victims and Hindley denied the allegations. Three other investigations followed, but no charges were brought against Hindley, who consistently denied any wrongdoing.

 

In addition to the police investigations, the Church commissioned several expert risk assessments to determine whether Canon Hindley posed a safeguarding risk. The failure to act decisively on the findings of these assessments has been a central point of criticism in the investigation. Despite being suspended at least twice and banned from certain duties, Hindley continued to serve in a prominent role within the cathedral, earning the nickname "Teflon" among colleagues, implying that complaints or allegations would never stick to him.

 

Canon Hindley has maintained that he was the victim of a campaign motivated by homophobia and personal agendas. He accused the Church of allowing its safeguarding procedures to be "hijacked, weaponized, and misused." In 2020, a report by a consultant clinical psychologist concluded that there was a "low to moderate risk of future inappropriate sexual behavior" by Hindley, with the risk increasing if he spent prolonged periods alone with young males. This was the last in a series of risk assessments, following earlier concerns raised by the NSPCC in 2007, which advised that Hindley should have no unsupervised contact with children or young people and recommended that he attend a sex offender program.

 

Despite these assessments and warnings, the Church struggled to take definitive action against Hindley. In 2017, he was offered a job in another diocese, only for it to be withdrawn after a risk assessment identified significant safeguarding risks. Yet, he remained in his post at Blackburn, highlighting the Church's reluctance or inability to remove him from his position.

The Church's handling of the case has drawn condemnation from child protection experts, including Ian Elliott, who stated that the investigation exposed a clear failure to act on information provided by experienced professionals. Elliott, who has conducted safeguarding reviews for religious institutions worldwide, declared, "I do not feel the Church of England is safe."

 

In an effort to remove Canon Hindley, the Cathedral Chapter governing body voted in January 2021 to retire him on ill-health grounds, using an untested law from 1949. However, Hindley challenged this decision in the High Court, bringing a claim for judicial review. The cathedral also initiated legal proceedings to remove him from his cathedral townhouse, which Hindley opposed. This pushback may explain why church leaders had not acted earlier, as internal papers revealed that they were concerned about potential legal action.

 

Canon Hindley held a freehold office, a rare status among clerics that was abolished for new priests in 2007. This status provided him with more protection than a regular employee, making it difficult for the Church to dismiss him without facing legal repercussions. The fear of litigation was a significant factor in the Church's hesitance to act, as noted by Rowena Pailing, who criticized senior clergy and the Church's legal team for their lack of bravery in addressing the situation.

 

Despite several attempts to bring complaints against Hindley to internal church tribunals, all were refused permission to proceed. This was partly due to the requirement that allegations more than a year old must receive permission from a senior church-appointed judge before they can be heard by a tribunal. This procedural hurdle, combined with other factors, led to frustrations among senior cathedral staff, who expressed their "profound concern" to the archbishops of Canterbury and York, asking them to intervene.

 

The Church of England, however, stated that there was "no way in which they [the archbishops] could lawfully have intervened" in a judicial decision made by an independent judge. Canon Hindley, for his part, asserted that whenever his case was considered objectively by an independent judicial decision-maker, he was always exonerated. He continued to claim that the allegations against him were part of a homophobic campaign aimed at driving him out of the Church.

 

The controversy surrounding Canon Hindley was further complicated by the Church's internal divisions and the perception that he had used the homophobia he experienced to deflect challenges to his behavior. Some former colleagues believed that Hindley manipulated the situation to his advantage, making it difficult for the Church to take decisive action against him.

 

In 2020, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, attempted to intervene, but the situation only grew more complicated. Andrew Graystone, an advocate for survivors of abuse in the Church of England, recounted how a senior member of the Blackburn Cathedral clergy told him that the archbishop had suggested leaking the story to the press as a way to resolve the issue. While the Church did not directly respond to this suggestion, it ultimately decided against pursuing this course of action.

 

Instead, Church leaders considered even more drastic measures, including the possibility of closing Blackburn Cathedral if Hindley were to return to work. In July 2021, the then-Bishop of Blackburn, Julian Henderson, wrote to Hindley, stating that he would have sacked him if he could, following the final risk assessment which found a "low to moderate" risk of inappropriate sexual behavior. Henderson warned that if Hindley were allowed to return to ministry, he was prepared to close the ministry of the cathedral altogether, with the agreement of the Dean and the archbishops of Canterbury and York.

 

Ian Elliott condemned this approach, describing it as "appalling and ridiculous" and suggesting that it highlighted deeper problems within the Church. Henderson defended the drastic measure, arguing that it was the last option available to them in the face of the continued risk posed by Hindley.

 

The BBC's investigation also uncovered a letter from May 2020, signed by all three Lancashire bishops, expressing their concern that "strings have been pulled" to allow Hindley to continue his ministry. They urged the Archbishop of Canterbury to resist pressure from "certain networks" to allow Hindley to retire with dignity and a full pension, fearing the damage this would cause to the Church's reputation.

 

This internal strife and the handling of Canon Hindley's case underscore the ongoing challenges the Church of England faces in addressing safeguarding concerns. The controversy has exposed deep flaws in the Church's ability to protect the vulnerable and maintain public trust.

 

In the wake of the revelations, the Church has reiterated its commitment to safeguarding and supporting survivors of abuse. However, the damage caused by the Canon Hindley case has left many questioning whether the Church of England can truly reform and prevent similar situations from occurring in the future.

 

In conclusion, the case of Canon Andrew Hindley has shed light on the profound and painful challenges faced by the Church of England in dealing with allegations of abuse within its ranks. The Church's actions, or lack thereof, have left a lasting impact on those involved and have raised serious questions about its ability to safeguard the vulnerable. As the Church continues to grapple with this crisis, it must find a way to reconcile its past mistakes with a commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all its members, particularly the most vulnerable among them. The shadows of silence that have long plagued the Church must be dispelled, and the voices of victims and survivors must be heard, respected, and acted upon.

 

Credit: BBC  2024-08-14

 

 

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[nobodysfriend]

3 hours ago, Social Media said:

Hindley was accused of having sex with a 17-year-old boy, which was illegal at the time as the age of consent for gay men was 21.

 

Catholic priests are , these days , often considered to be pedophiles , not without a reason it seems ...

 

3 hours ago, Social Media said:

to allow Hindley to retire with dignity and a full pension, fearing the damage this would cause to the Church's reputation.

 

The " reputation " is already badly damaged .

 

[jcmj]

Sickening pervert allowed to continue to abuse children for years. Should have been jailed not paid off. Shame on you Catholic Church for letting this happen again. 

[soalbundy]

31 minutes ago, jcmj said:

Sickening pervert allowed to continue to abuse children for years. Should have been jailed not paid off. Shame on you Catholic Church for letting this happen again. 

The Church of England this time, it would be better if the clergy from the Catholic and C of E met once a week to bang each other, a sort of 'nonce day' to spare the kids.

[john donson]

any religion is poison... look at here... people brainwashed since birth whom to love and revere... and reminded about 20 times a year on top...