Anglican Church Clears Incoming Leader Sarah Mullally of Abuse Mishandling Allegation

Church authorities have dismissed a complaint accusing Sarah Mullally, the incoming head of the Church of England, of mishandling an abuse allegation, the church confirmed on Thursday.

Mullally, 63, the current Bishop of London, is set to become the first woman Archbishop of Canterbury on January 28, taking over leadership of the global Anglican Communion.

Her appointment follows the resignation of her predecessor, Justin Welby, who stepped down last year amid criticism over his handling of a 1970s serial abuse case, one of several safeguarding failures that have rocked the church.

In December, Premier Christian News reported that Mullally had been the subject of a complaint filed in 2020 by a victim identified as “Survivor N,” who accused the Diocese of London of failing to properly investigate his abuse allegation against a priest during Mullally’s tenure as bishop since 2018.

According to the report, Survivor N also alleged that Mullally breached safeguarding procedures by sending a confidential email about the accusation directly to the priest concerned.

However, the office of the Archbishop of York, who is currently serving as interim head of the Church of England, ruled on Wednesday to “not take any further action” on the complaint against Mullally. The survivor has been given two weeks to appeal the decision.

Lambeth Palace, the London headquarters of the Archbishop of Canterbury, said the complaint against the priest involved remains under investigation. It also previously stated that Mullally was not informed of the complaint when it was received in 2020, attributing the lapse to “administrative errors.”

Mullally has since pledged to prioritise safeguarding, improve church safety measures and “listen to survivors” as she prepares to assume her new role.

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