Gloucester Cathedral puts up sign stating the 'Difficult History' of paedophile Bishop
Disgraced former bishop Peter Ball was sentenced to 32 months in Prison
Last updated 27th Mar 2025
Gloucester Cathedral has put up an interpretation panel to explain the “difficult history” of disgraced paedophile bishop Peter Ball.
Ball was the city’s bishop from 1992 to 1993 and resigned after being cautioned for sexual abuse.
But he continued to officiate at several churches. And it was not until 2015 that Ball was sentenced to 32 months’ imprisonment for misconduct in public office and indecent assault.
He admitted the abuse of 18 young men over 15 years from 1977 to 1992.
Ball pleaded not guilty to indecent assaults on two boys aged 13 and 15 in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The Crown Prosecution Service decided not to proceed with these charges.
He was released in February 2017 after serving half of his sentence and died two years later.
An independent inquiry into child sexual abuse which conducted a case study into how the Church of England in 2019 handled the allegations against Ball received evidence about allegations against him from 33 people including children and young men.
The inquiry found there were allegations of sexual misconduct by Ball as far back as 1969, when he was the Prior of the Community of the Glorious Ascension, according to the inquiry report.
As the Bishop of Lewes, he established an unregulated and unsupervised scheme in which young men would live with him in his diocesan home.
He abused his position as Bishop of Lewes to groom, exploit and commit offences against teenage boys and young men.
There is evidence that some within the Diocese of Chichester, in particular Bishop Eric Kemp, knew or suspected Peter Ball might have been involved in sexual misconduct but did nothing about it.
Despite this, in 1991, he was appointed as Diocesan Bishop of Gloucester with a favourable reference from Bishop Kemp.
Peter Ball’s chaplain was informed that Ball had been warned, upon appointment to Gloucester, that there should be “no more boys”, the report says.
Gloucester Cathedral says it is committed to being a safe and welcoming place for all.
And this month they say they have “placed an interpretation panel next to the list of bishops in the north ambulatory of the Cathedral to explain the difficult history of Ball”.
“His ministry ended after instances of serious abuse were uncovered, leading to criminal convictions,” a spokesperson said.
“While the inscription is a factual reflection of his position within the Church, it is also a reminder of the profound harm caused by abuse of power and trust.
“Gloucester Cathedral is committed to being a safe and welcoming place for all. The care and protection of children, young people and adults involved in the life of the Cathedral is of the upmost importance.
“The sign includes call-to-actions to support available for those who might be affected by this, such as visitors, worshippers and anyone else.
“This includes the contact details for the Cathedral and Diocesan Safeguarding Team, as well as support outside the Church of England.
“By acknowledging the past in this sign, we seek to honour survivors and reaffirm our dedication to safeguarding and transparency.”
Councillor Rebecca Trimnell, who represents the Westgate ward which includes the cathedral, hopes the transparency of the signage may help all those currently experiencing abuse to seek the help they need.
“I think it is only right of the Diocesan and Cathedral to call out the serious abuse of one of Gloucester Cathedral’s past bishops in the way that they have on this interpretation panel,” she said.
“It is only when abuse is exposed and talked about openly that victims of such heinous crimes can start to begin their journey of healing.
“I hope that the transparency of this signage may help all those currently experiencing abuse in all its many different forms not only within the church, but in other areas of life in seeking the support needed to empower them to escape from their abuser whoever that may be”.
The Diocesan and Cathedral Safeguarding Teams say they are there to offer support to anyone affected by this. They can be contacted via email at [email protected] or on the phone Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm 01452 835516 07944 680320
If you would like to talk to someone outside of the Church of England, you can call the Safe Spaces helpline on 0300 303 1056 or National Association for People Abused in Childhood on 0808 801 0331.