The bishop of Liverpool has resigned after coming under scrutiny over allegations of sexual assault and harassment

A Church of England bishop responsible for overseeing discipline has been accused of sexually assaulting and sexually harassing two women. John Perumbalath, the Bishop of Liverpool, allegedly sexually assaulted a woman on several occasions between 2019 and 2023 while he was a bishop in Essex, Channel 4 News reports.

Cottrell has also faced calls to resign over his own handling of a sexual abuse case when he was Bishop of Chelmsford. He had allegedly allowed a priest to keep his job despite knowing the Church had barred him from being alone with children and the priest had paid compensation to a sexual abuse victim.

A British bishop announced his retirement on Thursday, days after he was accused of sexual assault and harassment. Channel 4 News reported Tuesday that John Perumbalath, the Bishop of Liverpool, was accused of sexually assaulting a woman and harassing a fellow bishop.

The Archbishop of York is under pressure to quit over his support for a bishop accused of sexual harassment. The Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell, the de facto leader of the Church of England, is facing calls to step down over claims he pressured an appointment committee to approve the Bishop of Liverpool despite concerns about his fitness for the role.