The bishop of Liverpool has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by two women.
John Perumbalath denies the allegations from 2023, which come months after the Church of England was embroiled in an abuse scandal that triggered the resignation of the archbishop of Canterbury.
Perumbalath said police had investigated the allegations but taken no further action. He added that while he did not believe there had been any wrongdoing, he had “taken seriously the lessons learnt”.
One woman accused Perumbalath of kissing her without consent and groping her, and another woman accused him of sexual harassment, according to Channel 4 News.
“The allegations set out in this programme are in relation to encounters that took place in public settings, with other people present,” he said. “I have consistently denied the allegations made against me by both complainants.”
Perumbalath, who became bishop of Liverpool in 2023, said he had complied with an investigation by the National Safeguarding Team (NST). The allegations, which were raised in Essex, had also been investigated by the police, he said, who took no further action.
“Whilst I don’t believe I have done anything wrong, I have taken seriously the lessons learnt through this process addressing how my actions can be perceived by others,” he said.
“I take safeguarding very seriously and work hard to provide proper leadership in this area.”
The Church of England said a complaint of alleged misconduct had been brought against the bishop in 2023, after Perumbalath formally and legally assumed the role.
A spokesperson said the NST had concluded there was insufficient evidence to bring a complaint under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM). They also said the complaint had been investigated by police, who took no further action, and that support had been offered to the woman.
A second complaint was made shortly after the first complaint, according to the C of E. The spokesperson said the second complainant did not bring a CDM complaint within the one-year deadline. The individual later applied for permission to bring it after the deadline, which was supported by the archbishop of York, but was refused by an independent judge, the deputy president of tribunals.
“Anyone who comes forward to make a complaint will be taken seriously, treated with respect and their voice will be heard,” the C of E spokesperson said.
“The information brought by the second complainant was explored and assessed not to be a safeguarding matter but a matter of alleged misconduct. Pastoral support has been provided throughout for the second complainant and is ongoing.”
The allegations against the bishop of Liverpool come months after questions about the future of the C of E were raised late in 2024, after a review of how the church handled allegations of sexual abuse, and the resignation of the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
The archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, Welby’s temporary stand-in, has also faced calls to stand down after allegations emerged that a priest at the centre of a sexual abuse case was twice reappointed under him while he was serving as bishop of Chelmsford.
