Now the brand new Archbishop of Canterbury ‘is accused of mishandling an abuse declare’

The next Archbishop of Canterbury has been accused of mishandling an abuse claim lodged against a priest. 

A complainant, known only as N, has claimed The Right Rev Dame Sarah Mullally dealt with an abuse claim against a London priest improperly.

The 63-year-old, who is currently the Bishop of London, could face a disciplinary tribunal if church officials decide to take the complaint further.

It comes after the Right Rev Justin Welby stood down from the post in January over his handling of the Church of England’s child abuse scandal.

He was the first Archbishop of Canterbury to be forced out of the role after failures meant an abuser was never brought to justice.

Meanwhile, Mullally has faced increasing pressure to rebuild trust in the church amid concerns about safeguarding individuals from abuse. 

The complaint should have been assessed as far back as 2020, officials at Lambeth Palace told The Times.

They have said this never happened due to admin errors, as well as an ‘incorrect assumption about the individual’s wishes’.

A complainant, known only as N, has claimed The Right Rev Dame Sarah Mullally dealt with an abuse claim against a London priest improperly

The 63-year-old, who is currently the Bishop of London, could face a disciplinary tribunal if church officials decide to take the complaint further

A palace spokesman continued: ‘The provincial registrar has apologised to those involved and urgent arrangements are now being made for the complaint to be considered according to the relevant statutory process.’

The complainant was ‘let down by the Church of England[’s]’ processes, according to the next Archbishop on Wednesday.

She maintained to the newspaper that his accusation against the priest had been ‘fully dealt with’. 

However, she also recognised that a 2020 complaint from the individual against her had not been ‘properly dealt with’.

N claimed Mullally contacted the priest accused of abuse after the report was raised to her, which would be a breach of the Church of England’s disciplinary procedures.

The complaint will now be assessed by the deputy provincial registrar for Canterbury, who will then determine whether disciplinary action is required.

The Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York, will be sent the verdict and will decide whether the complaint should be dismissed or a formal response is required.

Cottrell can then decide for there to be no further action regarding the complaint, or for the accusation to be probed by a church tribunal.

Previous Archbishop of Canterbury, the Right Rev Justin Welby stood down from the post in January over his handling of the Church of England’s child abuse scandal

He can also forward the matter to a conciliator, or decide to hand out a penalty which can range anywhere from a stern disapproval to a lifetime ban from the ministry.

It is understood that Church of England officials were aware of the error this week after N had accused the religious body of attempting to ‘silence’ him to the Premier Christian News site.

Mullaly told The Times on Wednesday: ‘I am seeking assurance that processes have been strengthened to ensure any complaint that comes into Lambeth Palace is responded to in a timely and satisfactory manner.’

She called for a change in the church’s processes for both complainants and the clergy. 

‘Today, I am one of those clergy. As Archbishop of Canterbury, I will do everything in my power to bring about much-needed and overdue reform. 

‘We must have trust in our systems, or else we cannot expect others to put their trust in us.’

The Daily Mail has approached Lambeth Palace and the Church of England for comment.