Canvey Island vicar David Tudor has been banned for his claims about personal grooming

The Bishop of Chelmsford has said “lessons must be learned” after a vicar was sacked over allegations of sexual abuse.

David Tudor, who was rector of Canvey parish in Essex, was suspended for five years, but at a tribunal hearing this week he was banned for life by the Church of England.

The panel heard that between 1982 and 1989 he had sexual relations with two girls – one of them under 16.

Reverend Dr Guli Francis-Deqhani welcomed the decision to “ban him from ministry for life”.

“I am deeply sorry for the deep hurt and harm that David Tudor’s behavior has caused,” he added. said Dr. Francis-Deqhani.

“There will be important lessons to be learned about the way this issue has been dealt with over many years, and I welcome the fact that there will now be an independent national review of security practices.”

The the tribunal determined that Mr Tudor’s behavior – which occurred while he was a priest in the diocese of Southwark – amounted to a “breach of trust” amounting to “grooming”.

Mr Tudor told the two-day tribunal that he had no memory of the incidents with the two girls – who were identified as X and Y – but admitted that sexual acts had taken place between him and Y and did not dispute X’s account of what happened.

The tribunal heard how the former vicar tried to keep secret her relationship with X – which began when she was 15 – by demanding the destruction of her diaries.

He offered full apologies to both X and Y.

Surrey Police said it investigated a 2019 report of “recent indecent assaults” against a 60-year-old Canvey Island man – which allegedly took place in Reigate – but the Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence to include them. the case to court.

“As with all closed cases, if we receive any new or compelling evidence, we will consider reopening the investigation,” the force spokesman added.

Mr Tudor was also charged but acquitted of indecently assaulting a 16-year-old girl – identified as Z – in January 1988, the tribunal heard.

In 1988 he was sentenced to six months in prison for indecent assault against three other applicants, but this sentence was later overturned by the Court of Appeal.

After serving a five-year suspension, he returned to ministry in the 1990s and was appointed vicar of the Canvey Island band in 1997 and band director in 2000.

In 2005, Mr Tudor was suspended from duty by the Diocese of Chelmsford following a complaint about his conduct prior to his ordination in the 1970s, which involved neither X nor Y.

The tribunal found there were no ongoing criminal proceedings and he was allowed to return to his post on Canvey Island.

This was said by the Reverend Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark Mr Tudor’s conduct was “serious and harmful misconduct pastoral and professional duties of the priesthood.

Mr Tudor’s victims have been offered full support, Rev Chessun added, saying he was “deeply grateful” for their courage in sharing their experiences and engaging “in this long and difficult process”.