There have been calls for the Archbishop of York to resign over his handling of a historical sex abuse case when he was Bishop of Chelmsford. 

Archbishop Stephen Cottrell was accused in a BBC investigation of allowing David Tudor to remain in ministry for years despite knowing that he had been banned from being alone with children and had paid compensation to a sexual abuse victim. 

The woman who received compensation from Tudor told the BBC, "I feel like he [Stephen Cottrell] has spat in my face." 

Tudor was only barred from ministry in October after he admitted historical sex abuse allegations relating to two girls in the 1980s.

Critics accuse Archbishop Cottrell of failing to act soon enough and are urging him to step down. The calls come just weeks before he is due to take interim charge of the Church of England following the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury over safeguarding failures. 

The Bishop of Newcastle, Rt Rev Helen-Ann Hartley, is among those calling on Cottrell to resign. 

"It completely undermines his credibility that this case was not acted on," she told BBC File on 4 Investigates. "How can you have the moral and ethical authority to lead an institution with that?"

Rev Martine Oborne, Chair of Women and the Church, told Sky News that Cottrell "could've done more, sooner".

A petition calling on the Archbishop to resign has been signed over 1,600 times.

Cottrell is refusing to step down, claiming his hands were tied. 

He said in a statement: "The situation I faced when I became Bishop of Chelmsford, was horrible and intolerable – most of all for the survivors and victims who had bravely come forward and shared their stories from the 1980s.

"This morning's news coverage incorrectly implies that no action was taken until 2024. That is not the case. In my capacity as Bishop of Chelmsford, I suspended David Tudor from office at the first opportunity, when a new victim came forward to the police in 2019. Up until 2019, there were no legal grounds to take alternative action.

"When I joined the Chelmsford diocese in 2010, I worked closely with its very professional safeguarding team to ensure the risk was managed. But it was not possible to remove David Tudor from office until such time as fresh complaints were made, which happened when a victim bravely spoke to the police. Once this happened in 2019, I acted immediately. I suspended David Tudor from all ministry pending the investigation and subsequent tribunal hearing in which he was removed from office and prohibited from ministry for life.

"I am deeply sorry that we were not able to take action earlier, but that was the situation I inherited. It is extremely disappointing that this story is being reported as if it was an abuser being ignored or even protected. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. And to present it this way only re-traumatises already hurt people." 

His claims have been refuted by critics. Gavin Drake, a campaigner for survivors of abuse and former communications director for the Anglican Communion, has accused Cottrell of lying.

Drake said, "There were plenty of legal grounds to take alternate action.

"For a start, the Archbishop could have removed from Tudor the office of Area Dean of Hadleigh. The position of Area Dean is the gift of the bishop and can be granted and removed at will. By retaining Tudor in that position, Stephen Cottrell was retaining the inherited position where Tudor was given additional responsibility and authority over other clergy.

"It was also open to Stephen Cottrell not to install Tudor as an honorary canon of Chelmsford Cathedral in 2015. Tomorrow's File on Four programme says that Cottrell's office told them that "the new title for David Tudor wasn't a promotion or personal reward but happened because of a change in policy, meaning Area Deans will automatically made honorary canons.

"Did this change in policy happen in a vacuum? Was Stephen Cottrell not consulted on it? Did nobody review who the area deans were to see who would be made a canon under the new policy?

"FACT: Stephen Cottrell as bishop, and others in the diocese, approved this change knowing that it would result in Tudor being made an honorary canon." 

The Church of England released a separate statement in response to the BBC investigation in which it said, "Safeguarding decisions and all appointments today are subject to very clear guidance issued by the House of Bishops, which was not in place at the 1990s.

"It is currently being strengthened further. This involves a clear process, both around safer recruitment and in assessing risk, even when no further action is taken by statutory services, to ensure the Church is a safe place for all.

"The current Bishops of Chelmsford and Southwark have apologised for the hurt and harm caused by his offences and an independent Safeguarding Practice Review will now take place to ensure lessons are learnt from this case.

"Support continues to be offered to the survivors and those affected by this case."