Charles to tell inquiry of ‘regret’ over deception by sex abuse bishop

A written statement from Charles will be read on July 27 during the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) investigation as it examines how allegations against the former Church of England bishop were handled.

Now 86, the former bishop of Lewes and then Gloucester was jailed for 32 months in October 2015 for sexually abusing 18 young men over 30 years. He was released in February last year after serving half his sentence behind bars.

Ball, who boasted of his links to royalty and was said to be a confidant of the Prince of Wales, had accepted a caution for one count of gross indecency in 1993 and resigned due to ill health.

According to The Times, Charles’ statement to IICSA will say he was not aware of the “significance” of the caution when Ball mentioned it in a letter in 2009, and that he did not know until recently that a caution carries an acceptance of guilt.

A spokesman for Clarence House said: “In his statement The Prince makes it clear that he was unaware of the true nature of Mr Ball’s behaviour until the latter’s trial and conviction in 2015, at which point he severed all contact.

“Along with many others, he was deceived by Peter Ball over a very long period of time, which is something he deeply regrets.”

The inquiry is examining how the Church of England handled allegations of sexual abuse and has previously focused on the Diocese of…