THE new Archbishop of York has apologised on behalf of the Church after a report highlighted "appalling" sexual abuse against children by a now deceased former bishop.

The former Bishop of Chester, Hubert Victor Whitsey, used his position in the church to commit acts of sexual abuse against children, young people and vulnerable adults over a period of more than 15 years, the report found.

At least 18 people have been identified as the victims of the former bishop, from 1966 until after his retirement in 1981 .

The independent investigation into the Church of England’s handling of the allegations against Whitsey also found that the disclosures from victims were mishandled by church officials up till 2012.

Whitsey, who died in 1987, “groomed his victims, and often their families to enable this abuse” according to the report’s authors – retired judge David Pearl and Kate Wood, a former detective inspector with the Sussex Police.

They said that their findings will make “deeply uncomfortable reading for the church” as they concluded that the victims’ “appalling” suffering was “clearly made worse by the poor response of church officers at different times when they had the courage to come forward.”

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, issued a statement today in response to the report.

He said: “I am very grateful to Judge David Pearl, Kate Wood, and Hannah Sinclair for their report, entitled ‘A Betrayal of Trust’. This a detailed analysis and assessment of the church’s handling of allegations concerning the late Hubert Victor Whitsey, who was Bishop of Chester 1974 to 1982.

"Most of all I thank those survivors who have been willing come forward to speak to the reviewers. Without their help we would never be able to move forward and turn lessons learned into better practice.

“That a bishop should have been able to go on abusing young and vulnerable people over such a long period without ever being held to account for his actions is a matter of deep shame for the Church of England. In addition, there may be others for whom the publication of the report raises painful questions – we know of at least one instance where disclosures of abuse by someone else were made to Whitsey when he was bishop, and he did nothing in response.

“On behalf of the Church I apologise, and I say I am deeply sorry to all who suffered as a result of his behaviour. In addition to making this apology, I also want survivors to know that if you wish it, my colleagues and I will be here to offer you real and ongoing support. Meanwhile we must ensure that these challenging lessons are learned, so as not to repeat the errors of the past.

“The thirty-three recommendations of the report are helpfully practical, specific, and detailed, and will be vital to the urgent and ongoing task of reform and improvement to the Church of England’s safeguarding policy and practice.

“They must be considered alongside the recommendations of the IICSA report.

“My prayers are with all those who are tasked with this work in the coming weeks, and with those who have contributed to the review.

“Essential to our vision as a Church today is the commitment to become a safer church for all. This report, hard as it is to receive, is a help to us in making that vision real.”

The Church of England first apologised in 2017, after a police investigation was launched into Whitsey.

Then-Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu and then-Bishop of Chester, Dr Peter Forster said: “Sexual abuse is a heinous crime – and is an absolute and shameful breach of trust.

“We acknowledge that for survivors, the effects of sexual abuse are lifelong.”