JUSTICE FOR BISHOP GEORGE BELL OF CHICHESTER

"THE BBC ADMITS...'WE GOT IT WRONG ABOUT BISHOP BELL'"

http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2016/03/the-bbc-admits-to-its-great-credit-we-got-it-wrong-about-bishop-bell.html

FALSELY ACCUSED CARERS & TEACHERS (FACT)

@FACTukorg

When an allegation of abuse is made there is always a victim. If true, the person abused. If untrue, the accused and their family. Justice needed all round.

"BISHOP BELL"

A POEM BY BRIAN WORSFOLD OF CHICHESTER

I raise my glass to Bishop Bell
Is he really now in hell?
And if it be so then I pray,
That I may join him there one day!
For then eternity would pass
Much quicker, and we'd raise a glass
And raise it to the place
Where those who never sinned
Sit smug and never look within.
Does his life's work now count for nought?
It seems this now is what we're taught.
God bless the Bishop now I say
I'll sing his praises every day.

LETTER FROM THE BISHOP OF CHICHESTER (MARTIN WARNER) TO DR. RUTH GRAYSON (DAUGHTER OF BISHOP BELL'S FRIEND FRANZ HILDEBRANDT)

http://www.niemoeller-haus-ausstellung.de/tafeln_gross/tafel35/tafel_35_3.jpg

"The information you request is not withheld by the Church by [sic] its own; we are constrained by law from disclosing that information.
You will be aware that the forthcoming Goddard Inquiry that will look into the Diocese of Chichester has a vigorous and thorough mandate. My expectation is that the Church's processes in response to the allegation against Bishop George Bell will be considered in detail. If there is censure, then we shall have to face the consequences of that"

TELEGRAPH - CHARLES MOORE

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/12077435/The-Church-the-police-and-the-unholy-destruction-of-Bishop-Bell.html

"The Church, the Police and the Unholy Destruction of Bishop Bell"

GUARDIAN - LETTERS

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/12/doubts-that-linger-over-george-bell-child-abuse-ruling

Giles Fraser (Loose canon, 8 January) asks if it is really not possible for more details of the case surrounding Bishop George Bell “to be made public, short of identifying the victim?” The answer, as enshrined in the law governing all such cases, is no. In all cases, a survivor’s right to privacy is protected in law. It is legally impermissible for the church to disclose any evidence used in the settlement, or any information that might lead to identification of the complainant. The presumption of innocence relates to criminal prosecutions. This was a civil case, where the church used the evidence, which it may not disclose, to decide to settle.
Gabrielle Higgins
Diocesan secretary, Chichester

THE C. OF E. OCTOBER STATEMENT (22ND OCT 2015) ON THE RT. REVD. GEORGE BELL

https://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2015/10/statement-on-the-rt-revd-george-bell-(1883-1958).aspx

The Bishop of Chichester has issued a formal apology following the settlement of a legal civil claim regarding sexual abuse against the Right Reverend George Bell, who was Bishop of Chichester from 1929 until his death on 3rd October 1958.

REVIEW OF THE GEORGE BELL GROUP

http://www.georgebellgroup.org/review/

The purpose of this Review is to examine the process leading up to the release by the Church of England’s Media Centre of its statement on 22nd October 2015 (“the October Statement”) and the events which followed in the hope that no further steps will be taken to remove Bishop Bell’s name from public memorials until a proper enquiry has taken place into the allegations against him. The members of the Bell Support Group responsible for this document believe that natural justice and the damage done to the Bishop’s good name by the October Statement cry out for such an enquiry.

"LESSONS FOR THE CHURCH FROM HILLSBOROUGH" BY BROTHER IVO

http://brotherivo.com/blog/2016/04/29/lessons-for-the-church-from-hillsborough/

Nobody in the campaign is denying the possibility that the complainant in the case is telling the truth, yet what is attracting objective people to support the campaign is an examination of the information currently in the public domain, which draws experienced lawyers and public figures to the inescapable conclusion that one cannot see a fair - and therefore a safe - process at work.

BBC QUESTION TIME

On last night's BBC1 Question Time at 25 minutes in, on a question of Hillsborough and South Yorkshire Police, panellist Paul Marshall identified a wider pattern there which is also as apparent in the case of Bishop Bell:

"So there was a systematic way of trying to manipulate the press, and you saw the same thing actually with Cliff Richard, which I thought was a very sickening thing, also through a media exercise, bringing the media in to make themselves look good, before a man had actually been charged or found guilty of anything"

~ "adeledicnander"
http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2016/04/reposted-murder-in-the-cathedral-explains-why-you-should-sign-the-george-bell-petition-.html#comments (Comments)

SOLICITOR OF 'CAROL' CRITICISES GEORGE BELL GROUP

Tracey Emmott, the solicitor who specialises in child sexual abuse cases and represents 'Carol' who claims to have been abused by wartime Bishop of Chichester George Bell in the 1940s and 50s, has criticised the George Bell Group for not treating her client with the respect she deserves. The Group has called upon the Archbishop of Canterbury to apologise for blackening Bishop Bell’s name over the case.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/local/west_sussex_news/14374552.Abuse_victim_s_lawyer_hits_back_at_Establishment_critics_of_Church_apology/?ref=twtrec

CHICHESTER UNIVERSITY CLOSES GEORGE BELL INSTITUTE & WITHDRAWS ASSOCIATED FELLOWSHIPS
http://www.chi.ac.uk/news/public-statement-bishop-george-bell

Public statement on Bishop George Bell
04/02/2016
The University has an Anglican foundation, this means that the Diocese of Chichester has been represented on the University’s Board of Governors. Bishop Bell served both as a member and Chair of the Board of Governors. The University has been host to the George Bell Institute since 2010. The George Bell Institute and the academic work of its human rights scholars were supported by funds from the George Bell Trust. In May 2015, the Trust Board took the decision that the Trust was not financially viable and a process was put in train to wind up the Trust. This process came to an end in January 2016 and as result the University has closed the Institute and withdrawn the associated Fellowships.
For further information please contact our Press Office:
Email: [email protected]

TWITTER COMMENT

@FTerryChandler

The supporters of Bishop George Bell continue to attack the survivor,' Carol', one even demanding to meet her. You can 'flag' their petition.

@Justice4GeorgeBell

No-one is 'attacking' the alleged victim. Why do you keep spreading this untruth?

K1 COMMENT

I'm not advocating it, but in my opinion the most appropriate default postcode for overseas participants hoping to get to the bottom of this scandal would be NW1 6XE. (221b Baker Street aka The Sherlock Holmes Museum.)

~ "Kevin 1"
http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2016/04/reposted-murder-in-the-cathedral-explains-why-you-should-sign-the-george-bell-petition-.html#comments (Comments)

ADELE DN COMMENT

"Innocent until proved guilty" as a UN Universal Human Right is made worthless by manipulation of the media as exampled here by the Church of England.
The C of E media coverage was formulated from hearsay.
The Ninth Commandment "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour" held no noticeable sway in any of this.
In a qualifying statement following a question in the House of Lords on the Church’s actions the Bishop of Durham said: "The church therefore, having evaluated the evidence before them, accepted the veracity of the claims before them."
None of which sits at all well with the apparent public demonstration of indifference to new findings subsequently reported to the Church by the George Bell Group.

~ "adeledicnander"
http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2016/04/reposted-murder-in-the-cathedral-explains-why-you-should-sign-the-george-bell-petition-.html#comments (Comments)