Blackburn Cathedral priest posed significant risk: Church of England Abuse

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Concerns have been raised after it was found that a Church of England priest was paid off after being assessed as a ‘potential risk to children and young people’.

According to a BBC investigation, Canon Andrew Hindley, who worked in the Blackburn diocese from 1991 to 2021 – was subject to five police investigations, including allegations of sexual assault. Although he has never been charged with a criminal offence, senior staff members say concerns about the priest were “an open secret”.

Blackburn Cathedral priest

The BBC carried out a two-year investigation into the allegations which heard that the former Bishop of Blackburn Julian Henderson described the financial settlement when he was in post as the “only option” left for the Church “to protect children and vulnerable young people from the risk Canon Hindley posed”.

It is thought that Canon Andrew Hindley received a six-figure payoff to leave. However, the payoff, which is believed to be around £240,000 has caused controversy among the church as Rowena Pailing, quit as the cathedral’s vice-dean and head of safeguarding, ending a nearly 20-year career with the Church of England.

“I couldn’t work for an organisation which put its own reputation and the protection of alleged abusers above the protection and care and listening to victims and survivors,” she told the BBC, speaking publicly for the first time about the case.

The message the payment sends to victims and survivors is “absolutely horrific… I was devastated”.

Serious safeguarding concerns

Mrs. Pailing told the BBC that when she was offered the job in 2018, she was warned of “serious safeguarding concerns and allegations” over a priest, spanning “a long period of about 25 years”. She was told there was a “plan to deal with it” but she said that when she took up the post it “became clear there was no plan”, and the Church of England was sitting on an open secret.

Recalling an event at Lambeth Palace, home of the Archbishop of Canterbury, she says: “There was a bishop from another diocese who referred to the particular canon by name and asked if he was still up to his old tricks.”

Internal Church of England documents, seen by the BBC, show there had been concerns about Blackburn Cathedral for years.

A 2009 cathedral inspection concluded Canon Hindley “may pose a threat to young men” and to the cathedral’s name.

Lancashire Police investigations into Canon Hindley

Over a period of 27 years, Lancashire Police opened five investigations into Canon Hindley:

1991: Allegation of sex with a 17-year-old boy when the age of consent for gay men was 21
2000: Allegation of sex with a 15-year-old boy when the age of consent was 16

Both investigations were dropped after the alleged victims and the canon denied the allegations.

Police took no further action in three other investigations. In each, Canon Hindley denied the allegations:

2001: Allegation of sexual assault of a teenage boy three years earlier – a later report commissioned by the Church shows Canon Hindley had been accused of giving the alleged victim alcohol, encouraging him to watch pornography and touching his genitals
2006: Allegation over remarks made to a 15-year-old boy
2018: Allegations of sexual assaults at a party in the Cathedral garden

Lancashire Police says it assessed all available information and “where evidence was available investigations were undertaken and advice sought from the Crown Prosecution Service” but that “this did not result in any charges being brought”.

NSPCC

Children’s charity, the NSPCC had said Canon Hindley presented “a risk of significant harm to children and young people” and advised he “should have no unsupervised contact with children or young people”.

It also recommended he attend a sex offender programme and his risk be reassessed – and if he failed to co-operate, the Church should think about ending his employment.

What has the church said:

In a joint statement with Peter Howell-Jones, the Dean of Blackburn Cathedral, he has said the Church must listen “more closely than ever” to survivors of abuse “to ensure that the Church now, and in the future, is not hampered by its own processes from acting quickly and properly on serious safeguarding matters. Only then can this truly be a safe Church for everyone”.

Abuse claims compensation

If you have been a victim of abuse within a church or religious organisation, you may be entitled to claim compensation for the damages.

Places of worship should be safe places, and when an individual has a strong faith, it can be devastating when abuse occurs – especially when they are abused by a trusted member of an organisation.

Many of the cases we have dealt with involve a person in a position of trust or power using their position to abuse a member of the congregation or another member of the organisation who may look up to them.

Types of abuse that may occur within a religious context

Sexual abuse
Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Religious abuse

Church of England Redress Scheme

An Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) conducted a separate Inquiry into sexual abuse in the Anglican Church of England and Wales. In response to the findings,

The Church of England has promised to set up a to compensate victims and survivors of abuse.

Can I make a claim for religious abuse?

This area of the law is highly specialised and it is important to have a solicitor who has experience pursuing claims for compensation for sexual and physical abuse and assault within religious institutions.

You can contact us for a free, no-obligation chat. We will advise you whether you are eligible to make a claim and the likely level of damages.

If you decide to pursue the claim we will do all the work for you, keeping you informed at every stage.

Who can claim for religious abuse?

If you suffered sexual or physical abuse within a religious context, you may be able to claim damages in the form of monetary compensation. It does not matter if the abuse occurred many years ago.

If the person who suffered abuse is under 18, the claim can be brought by a parent or close relative.

Similarly, if the person who was abused is unable to speak to us due to old age or disability, a close family member can seek advice for them.

Who will the claim be brought against?

It is usual for the claim to be brought against the religious organisation rather than the individual who abused you.

The law states that the organisation will be automatically responsible for the actions of its employees, or those who are in positions similar to employment.

How long will my case take?

There are several factors which can affect how long a claim takes. Generally, a civil claim for sexual or physical abuse or assault can be concluded within 6-12 months. We will provide you with regular updates as your claim progresses.

Once we have been able to assess your case, we will give you an idea at the outset of the likely timescale.

It will very much depend on what evidence we need to gather, who we are bringing the claim against, and also whether the claim can be settled without court proceedings.

How much compensation will I receive?

Each claim is different. We will assess your claim and give you an idea at the outset of the likely compensation you can expect to receive.

A civil claim for sexual or physical abuse can include the following types of compensation:

General damages – An award of money for the abuse/assaults themselves and for the pain, suffering and any psychological effects.
Special damages – An award for any specific financial losses we can prove, such as loss of earnings or the cost(s) of any treatment or counselling.
Aggravated damages – An additional award of money in certain cases where the court considers that there has been additional distress caused by the manner in which the abuse occurred. This is commonly the case where abuse has occurred in a religious context, where there has been abuse of a position of power or trust.

Will I have to pay any legal fees?

The majority of abuse claims are funded by a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is also known as a ‘no-win, no-fee’ agreement.

The way these agreements work means that you do not have to pay anything to us upfront.

If you successfully recover damages, the majority of your costs will be paid by the other side. You may have to contribute to costs out of any compensation recovered, but this will not be more than 25%.

We may advise you to take out After the Event (ATE) Insurance in your claim, depending on the case. If we consider that it should be taken out, we will discuss this in detail with you.

Any ATE premium will only be payable if you win and will not need to be paid until the end of the claim.

Do I need to have reported the abuse to the police or organisation?

No, but we will always encourage our clients who have not reported to the police to do so. The incidents that you complain of will almost certainly also amount to a criminal offence.

If you have not reported the abuse to the police, we can point you in the right direction.

I reported the abuse to the police but they were unable to prosecute. Can I still make a claim?

Yes. The criminal process is different to the civil claims process.

There are different evidential burdens in both processes, so just because the police did not take your complaint any further, it does not mean that you cannot pursue a civil claim.

The police may still have evidence that will support your civil claim, even if it was not enough for a criminal prosecution.

Why should I choose Oakwood Solicitors Ltd to make my claim?

At Oakwood Solicitors, we have dedicated lawyers with over 20 years of experience, acting for survivors of sexual and physical abuse.

We understand how difficult it can be to bring a claim, and we are committed to sensitively dealing with your case.

You will have a dedicated solicitor who will deal with your claim from start to finish, and who will be able to speak to you at times convenient to you.

Church of England Abuse: Blackburn Cathedral priest posed ‘significant risk’ to children