Ex-Archbishop Lord Carey resigns after child abuse review

Lord Carey has apologised to the victims of Peter Ball

The former Archbishop of Canterbury has resigned from his last formal role in the church after a review into historical child sex abuse.

Lord Carey was criticised in an independent review of the church's handling of abuse carried out by Bishop Peter Ball, 85, who was jailed in 2015.

Dame Moira Gibb's review revealed he had failed to pass information on Ball to the police back in 1992.

Justin Welby, current Archbishop of Canterbury, asked for his resignation.

Lord Carey had been given a role as an honorary assistant bishop in the diocese of Oxford, a position given to many retired bishops.

'Accepted criticisms'

Ball, former bishop of Lewes and Gloucester, was jailed for two years and eight months in October 2015, after admitting sex offences against 18 teenagers and young men between the 1970s and 1990s.

The Bishop of Oxford, the Right Reverend Dr Steven Croft, said: "I have met with Lord Carey following the Archbishop's letter to him.

"In light of Dame Moira Gibb's review into the Peter Ball case, Lord Carey has resigned from his role as honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Oxford.

"Lord Carey has accepted the criticisms made of him in the Gibb review and has apologised to the victims of Peter Ball."

Ball was jailed for sex offences against teenagers and young men between the 1970s and 1990s

Dame Moira Gibb's review revealed Lord Carey received various letters from families and individuals following the arrest and cautioning of Ball in 1992 for gross indecency, but failed to pass six of them to the police.

He also chose not to put Ball on the Church of England's "Lambeth List", which names clergymen about whom questions of suitability for ministry have been raised.

Ball was released from jail in February after serving 16 months.

'Focus on survivors'

Dame Moira, a former senior social worker, said there was a failure of the Church to respond appropriately to misconduct over a period of many years.

Rt Rev Steven Croft added: "Along with many others, I have been deeply distressed to read Dame Moira Gibb's report with its narrative of the abuse perpetrated by Peter Ball which remained hidden for so long.

"I hope that the focus of attention will continue to be on the survivors of abuse and offering to them the care and support they need.

"As the Diocese of Oxford we are committed to improving continually the quality of safeguarding and care."

He said the diocese would learn lessons from the review and put its "recommendations into practice".