Second Lifetime Ban for ex-priest David Tudor
Ex-Church of England priest David Tudor has been handed a second lifetime ban from ministry after grooming and sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl.
The order comes less than two years after a first ban for other sexual offences in October 2024. The Southwark Bishop’s Disciplinary Tribunal described Tudor’s misconduct as “egregious and of the utmost seriousness”, highlighting a “deliberate and damaging failure to comply with the high standards of Christian behaviour”. The tribunal unanimously concluded that Tudor had sexual intercourse with a girl, identified as “Z” when she was just 15. After speaking out she was sent hate mail and tried to take her own life.
Z, who attended St Bede’s school in Redhill, Surrey, where Tudor was chaplain, sought guidance from him, only to be met with a six-month period of grooming and abuse. Despite confiding in friends and reporting to the then Area Bishop of Croydon, Wilfred Wood, the issue was not resolved, leading to police involvement in 1987.
Tudor was charged and tried in 1988, admitting to having sex with Z when she was 16 but denying it occurred when she was 15. Although acquitted of the latter charge, he faced a five-year suspension for misconduct.
A BBC investigation in December 2024, for which our client gave an interview about her own experiences of abuse by Tudor, exposed significant failings in the Church’s handling of Tudor’s case, revealing that he continued in ministry despite his history of misconduct. Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, then Bishop of Chelmsford, allowed Tudor to remain in post for nine years, describing him as a “Rolls Royce priest”.
The tribunal rejected Tudor’s claims that Z was untruthful, affirming Z’s consistent and cogent account of the events. Her victim impact statement revealed the profound effect of the abuse, including an attempt to take her own life due to intense shame and guilt.
In 2023, Z discovered, to her shock, that Tudor had been exercising ministry in Canvey Island, Essex, for many years. The tribunal noted the particularly shocking aspect of hate mail sent to Z’s home after the 1980s trial, forcing her family to relocate.
The abuse led Z to lose her Christian faith, a grievous consequence of Tudor’s misconduct. Bishop of Southwark, Rt Rev Christopher Chessun, expressed gratitude to Z for her courage in speaking out and apologised for the pain caused. The Church continues to work with independent reviewers on a safeguarding practice review.
This case underscores the critical need for robust safeguarding measures within religious institutions to protect vulnerable individuals and ensure accountability for those in positions of trust.
We are specialists in bringing abuse claims against the church, and we have represented a number of survivors of abuse by David Tudor. If you have suffered abuse in the church and you are looking for support, please get in touch using the contact details below for a free and confidential conversation about your legal options.
