The Church of England is examining a formal complaint that Sarah Mullally mishandled an abuse allegation while serving as Bishop of London. The alleged abuse began in 2014 and was reported to the Diocese of London in 2019; Mullally became Bishop of London in 2018. The complainant says Mullally emailed the accused priest and that a 2020 complaint against her was not properly processed due to administrative errors. The diocese has apologised and referred the matter to Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell to decide next steps.
Incoming Archbishop Sarah Mullally Accused Of Mishandling 2014 Abuse Complaint
Dame Sarah Mullally is set to become the Archbishop of Canterbury in January, but she now faces an allegation that she mishandled an abuse complaint. File Photo by Neil Hall/EPA
The Church of England is facing a formal complaint alleging that Sarah Mullally, the bishop of London who is due to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury, mishandled an abuse allegation while she served as Bishop of London.
Allegations and Timeline
The complainant, identified only as "N," alleges the abuse by a London priest began in 2014 and that the matter was reported to the Diocese of London in 2019. Mullally became Bishop of London in 2018 and was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in October; she is expected to take up the post next month.
According to the complaint, N says Mullally emailed the priest about the allegations — an action the complainant argues would breach the Church's disciplinary code. N filed a separate complaint against Mullally in 2020, which he says was not handled correctly because of "administrative errors and an incorrect assumption about the individual's wishes." Officials say they assumed N did not want to proceed but did not confirm that with him.
Diocese Response
The Diocese of London said the Bishop of London was unaware of the matter because "the process never reached the stage at which she would have been informed of the complaint or its contents." The diocese added that the provincial registrar has apologised to those involved and that "urgent arrangements are now being made for the complaint to be considered according to the relevant statutory process."
Mullally's Statement
“While his abuse allegations against a member of clergy were fully dealt with by the Diocese of London, it is clear that a different complaint he subsequently made against me personally in 2020 was not properly dealt with,” Mullally told The Guardian. She said she is seeking assurance that procedures have been strengthened so that any complaint that comes into Lambeth Palace is responded to promptly and satisfactorily, and pledged to push for reform if she becomes Archbishop of Canterbury.
Next Steps
The complaint will be passed to Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, who will determine the appropriate next steps. He may refer the matter to a conciliator, impose sanctions, or escalate the case to a church tribunal under the Church of England's statutory processes.
The development comes amid wider scrutiny of how the Church of England handles safeguarding and disciplinary matters involving clergy. Church leaders have said establishing trust in internal systems is essential to encourage victims and witnesses to come forward.
