Sex crimes

Archbishop of York Cleared in Abuse Priest Case

Is the Church of England escaping its stained past toward a bright future or continuing down the failed path of bureaucratic corruption?

Published JAN 29

Archbishop of York Cleared in Abuse Priest Case

Story

Above: Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell hugs Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally at her confirmation in London on Jan. 28, 2026. Image credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images

The Facts

Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York and the Church of England's second most senior cleric, was cleared of misconduct by church-appointed President of Tribunals Stephen Males regarding his handling of priest David Tudor, who had a history of sexual abuse.
Global Banking and Finance
Guardian
David Tudor was banned from ministry for life in 2024 after admitting sexual relationships with two teenage girls, aged 15 and 16, in the 1980s. He had previously been suspended from ministry for five years in 1988 after admitting to having sex with a 16-year-old girl.
The Telegraph
Guardian
Cottrell renewed Tudor's contract as area dean in Essex on two occasions while serving as Bishop of Chelmsford from 2010, despite being aware of Tudor's past abuse, his ban from being alone with children and that he had paid £10,000 compensation to a sexual abuse victim. Cottrell previously maintained that he lacked the legal authority to suspend him, a stance that changed only after Tudor was arrested by police nine years later.
BBC News
Guardian
Reuters
Stephen Males concluded that although mistakes were made in handling Tudor's case, the threshold for misconduct was not met. Males noted that Cottrell had no power to remove Tudor from ministry and could not be held responsible for the decision to allow Tudor back into ministry.
The Telegraph
Global Banking and Finance
In response to the findings, Cottrell stated that he welcomed scrutiny of his decisions and acknowledged there are some things he wished he had done differently. He apologized for the hurt caused to victims and survivors by Tudor's reappointment as area dean.
Devdiscourse
The Archbishop of York
The Church of England is attempting to move forward under new Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally, following multiple abuse scandals that culminated in the resignation of former leader Justin Welby in 2024. Mullally faced a safeguarding complaint that was ultimately dismissed.
BBC News
Guardian

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Stephen Cottrell has acknowledged past safeguarding failures, offered a sincere apology, and shown a willingness to learn. Yet an independent judge found no case to answer, confirming his actions were guided by risk management and professional advice. With Mullally now leading and strong support beside her, the Church of England is moving forward on a safer, hopeful path.

The Archbishop of York

Anglican Communion News Service

Narrative B

Despite hopeful rhetoric, the Church of England’s abuse crisis is far from over. Scandals like Smyth and Pilavachi reveal deep cultural failures, with institutions seemingly “rewarded” despite recent harms. Mullally’s leadership risks continuing this pattern, prioritizing bureaucracy and misplaced activism over faith, accountability and rebuilding trust.

The Telegraph

The Times (UK)

Limited Coverage

This story currently has limited coverage. We will continue to monitor all major outlets and update our reporting as additional information becomes available.