Former Bishop of Gloucester jailed after admitting sex abuse

A retired Church of England bishop has been jailed at the Old Bailey for 32 months after admitting sexual assaults. Peter Ball, a retired Bishop of Lewes and of Gloucester, lives in Somerset.

Live updates

  1. Meridian

Bishop says he's "very sorry" for years of sexual abuse

An 83 year-old former Bishop of Lewes has said he's "very, very sorry" ahead of his sentencing for sexual offences against 18 young men.

Peter Ball committed the assaults over the course of 15 years stretching from the 1970s to 1990s.

There have been allegations that senior bishops within the Church of England helped cover up abuse allegations.

Advertisement

Ex-bishop who admitted sexual assaults to be sentenced

Peter Ball admitted sexually assaulting young men. Credit: PA

A retired Church of England Bishop is due to be sentenced today after admitting sexually assaulting two young men during the 1980s and 1990s.

Peter Ball, who lives in Langport in Somerset, is a former bishop of Lewes and of Gloucester. The 83-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault at the Old Bailey via video link from Taunton. He also admitted misconduct in a public office between 1977 and 1992.

The Church of England has launched a review into how it handled complaints against him.

Church of England: 'We offer an unreserved apology'

The Church of England have issued a statement after the former of Bishop of Gloucester admitted sexually assaulting young men:

We offer an unreserved apology to all the survivors and those affected by this news. We commend the bravery of those who brought these allegations forward, acknowledging how difficult and distressing this would have been.

The Church of England always takes any allegations of abuse very seriously and is committed to being a safe place for all. To this end we have robust procedures and policies in place. But we can never be complacent. Any survivors or those with information about church-related abuse must always feel free to come forward knowing that they will be listened to in confidence.

– Rt Revd Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham

Advertisement

Back to top

Latest ITV News reports