Last week the Jersey Evening Post gave front page
coverage to a letter from Senator Bailhache to the Archbishop of Canterbury
asking him to press for the publication of the Steel Report. The Senator wrote as a Senator in the States of Jersey and as Lay Chair of
the Jersey Deanery Synod.
Those in the Jersey Church circle have been impressed ( there are others
who are unimpressed) at how speedily the Senator has become the chair of the
Deanery Synod and it would be interesting to know whether his letter was ever
approved by the rank and file Synod members.
The Senator attacked the Bishop of Winchester for failing to apologize
for causing ‘unjustified humiliation and distress’ to the Dean and his wife. He
accused the Church of ‘burying’ the report to prevent embarrassment for the
Bishop of Winchester. He warned that failure to act could cause ‘irreparable
damage’ between the Church of England and the church in Jersey and urged the
Archbishop to come out in support of the contents of the Steel report in the
interest of ‘Christian reconciliation’.
The Senator made no mention of the real victim but that is
understandable because as far as he and his colleagues are concerned she does
not exist, so much for “Christian reconciliation?”
The Dean has some pretty influential allies who are pressing the
Archbishop to release the Steel Report in the belief that it will bring closure
to the sorry affair. However they seem to have lost sight of the fact that the
Dean and his supporters are hell bent on extracting an apology from the Bishop
of Winchester. Until the apology is given there will be no closure.
Sadly they have failed to acknowledge the impact the release will have
on the victim. Surely as true Christians the welfare of the vulnerable should
take precedence over any perceived “hurt” suffered by a senior member of the
clergy.
Tony the Prof has recently published an excellent blog in relation to
this matter and on the recent visit to the Archbishop of Canterbury by a
delegation from Jersey. It can be accessed HERE.
In any normal organization where there are petty spats the boss would
have a serious talk with both men, remind them of their responsibilities and if
they could not work together for the good of the organization then they should
find alternative employment. Sadly the Church of England is not a normal
organization and is certainly not adverse to spending thousands of pounds
defending the indefensible.
I have published several blogs on the Dean saga and on 27th
January this year I published a blog titled “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie.” I said that nothing would be gained by
pressing for the release and every one should let sleeping dogs lie. We know
that the woman wanted to move on even though she had every right and
expectation to some form of redress.
It would seem that the only people who can’t let it go are those who
support the Dean, who by his own admission mishandled the complaint and added
his apology to that of the Archbishop and the Bishop of Winchester.
My letter to the Archbishop is below. I understand that he has made it
known that he is not responding to Senator Bailhache’s letter. I don’t need a
reply but I hope the Archbishop will read it and have the courage to do what is
right.
My Letter........
Dear Archbishop,
I
write as one of the many disillusioned members of the Church of England who are
increasingly frustrated at the way the Jersey church is being hijacked by a
small group who claim to speak for me. They appear to be more concerned with driving
wedges between Jersey and the Bishop of Winchester rather than building bridges
and are using the Steel Report as its wooden horse.
You
have recently received a strongly worded letter from Senator Bailhache which
accuses you of failing to grasp the nettle, whilst I agree with the Senator I
do not agree with the nettle he wants you to grasp. Senator Bailhache is part
of the problem and whilst he is entitled to support the Dean who is his
friend and colleague, he also has a duty to be even handed as Lay Chair of the Jersey Deanery Synod.
The
Senator is requesting the publication of the Steel Report but has failed to
accept that the publication will solve nothing because it will do nothing for
the welfare of the young woman at the heart of the matter or solving the
impasse between the Dean and Bishop Dakin of Winchester.
What
is evident is that Bishop Dakin could have handled the Dean’s suspension in a
more professional manner. The same could be said of the Dean’s handling of the
abuse complaint way back in the summer of 2008. What is conveniently forgotten
is that the Dean on being reinstated said, “I regret mistakes that I made in the
safeguarding processes and I understand that, upon reflection, it would have
been more helpful if I had co-operated more fully with the Korris Review. I now
add my own apology to that of the Bishop of Winchester and Archbishop of
Canterbury to the vulnerable person at the heart of this matter.
The Dean has admitted
that he mishandled the abuse allegation therefore even though no disciplinary
action is being levelled he cannot nor can others claim that he is exonerated.
Had his mistakes not been made at the outset none of the difficulties would
have followed.
It should be noted
that whilst all of you have made
public apologies to the young woman none of you have found the humility
to apologise to her personally or ensure that promises made by Bishops Dakin
and Gladwin to assist her have been kept.
Your apology was for
badly letting the young woman down, that is an understatement because at the
behest of the Dean, his wife and the late Bishop of Winchester she was arrested
at home whilst still in her night attire, was detained in a police cell for 24
hours and then imprisoned for two weeks before being effectively deported from Jersey in her night attire and left
destitute in the UK. Senator Bailhache claims that the Dean’s suspension was ill judged, precipitate, unnecessary, and contrary
to the principles of natural justice. If ever there was a miscarriage of
justice one need look no further than the action taken by members of your
clergy to remove a problem.
Whilst
much money, time and effort is being consumed by Senator Bailhache and his
colleagues they are oblivious to the real victim who in their eyes does not
exist. The Senator has made reference to a paragraph in your letter of 9th
March 2013 but has carefully doctored it to exclude your reference to the young
lady.
The
Steel Report cannot and must not be released for a number of reasons, not least
because the original Terms of Reference were amended at the behest of the
Dean’s colleagues and the arrest and deportation of the vulnerable young woman
was excluded despite the Korris recommendation. The choice of Dame
Heather was a grave mistake, not only because of her association with Senator
Bailhache but for the comments made during her meeting with me and are
contained in the transcript which she promised to give me. However for obvious
reasons she has failed to keep her promise.
Jan Korris was criticized for not
interviewing the Church Warden or the young woman, However Dame Heather has
also failed to interview both, so how can her Report be taken seriously? The
most serious reason for non- publication is of the known impact it will have on
the young woman.
The recent representations
from Jersey make no mention of this important pastoral consideration.
Bishop Dakin has informed the Bailiff of the need for an impact assessment
before publication but that is still awaited. There are also assurances given
to the Court which have to be met, which will all also cost money.
I
am probably one of very few people who have had meetings with the young woman,
Dame Heather and Bishop Gladwin who after meeting him in London visited my home
to thank me for my endeavors and assurance that I would continue to assist with
the Inquiry. I no longer act as a mediator for the young woman but that does
not mean that I do not care for her welfare.
I
don’t know what hats the Lt Governor, Bailiff and the Chief Minister were
wearing but the cost of their visit was paid by the tax payers. I am sure the
visit was useful but I doubt whether they were able to give a full and
impartial account of events. However I have considerable documentation which
supports why the Steel Report should not be released and would be pleased
to share with you should you doubt my claims.
I
trust that you will address this letter with the urgency it deserves and
arrange for the Steel Report to be shredded for the reasons above. I also ask
that you take steps to ensure that the Dean and Bishop Dakin are reminded of
the responsibilities and that it is hypocritical
to stand in the pulpit and ask us to love our neighbour when they do not
practice what they preach.
I
understand that Senator Bailhache circulated his letter to the Lt Governor,
Bailiff, Chief Minister and Bishop Willmott so I will do the same. His letter
was also circulated to the media; in the interest of transparency I will do the
same.
Yours
sincerely,
F.J.
(Bob) Hill, BEM.
10th
November 2015
