Paedophile bishop escaped charges after MPs and royal family intervened, court told

Peter Ball, arriving at the Old Bailey. Photograph: Ed Willcox/Central News

MPs, a lord chief justice the royal family and public school headmasters all intervened to stop a bishop being prosecuted for sexual abuse 22 year ago, the Old Bailey has heard.
Former bishop Peter Ball was facing jail on Wednesday after admitting last month the sexual abuse of 18 boys between 1977 and 1992 when he was bishop of Lewes.

He escaped justice when his first victim complained in 1992 after interventions from leading figures in the establishment. Instead of being prosecuted he was given a caution.
Bobbie Cheema QC prosecuting said: “The police report that accompanied the papers sent to the CPS in 1993 after the police had done their work stated they had received telephone calls supportive of Peter Ball “from many dozens of people – including MPs, former public school headmasters JPs and even a lord chief justice”.
She added that the royal family and cabinet minister also sent letters of support.
As a result Ball was never charged with the indecent assault of Neil Todd, who later killed himself. It was only 22 years later that he finally admitted grooming exploiting and abusing vulnerable young men who came into his orbit.
Ball is being sentenced on Wednesday.
Ball pleaded guilty to two indecent assaults on two young men and misconduct in public office relating to the abuse of 16 young men in September this year.
He had previously argued he was not fit to stand trial and that as a bishop he was not the holder of a public office. Both arguments were lost.

The Guardian