The retired judge leading the Westminster child abuse inquiry kept allegations about a bishop out of a review of how the Church of England dealt with two paedophile priests because she “cared about the Church”, The Times can disclose.
Baroness Butler-Sloss told a victim of alleged abuse that she did not want the claims to be in the public domain because “the press would love a bishop”.
The revelations led to fresh calls yesterday for the peer to step down as chairwoman of the new inquiry. The choice of Lady Butler-Sloss to head the investigation has come under fire because of her establishment connections.
Her comments were made in 2011 during a meeting at the House of Lords with Phil Johnson, who suffered abuse by