The former Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, has resigned as a priest after a BBC investigation claimed that he failed to properly handle a sexual misconduct case.

Lord Carey was Archbishop of Canterbury between 1991 and 2002, during which time former Canvey Island rector David Tudor was allowed to return to ministry despite being barred by the Church of England from being alone with children. 

His return followed a five-year suspension over allegations of sexual assault against teenage girls. 

He was barred from ministry for life in October after a tribunal upheld two complaints of misconduct involving teenage girls in the 1980s. Tudor admitted to sexual misconduct. 

The BBC reported that while he was Archbishop, Carey allowed Tudor to return to ministry under supervision and that minutes from a meeting spoke of him "advocating for" the disgraced priest. It further reported that Carey had agreed to remove Tudor's name from an official Church list of clergy who have received disciplinary action.

In his resignation letter, Carey wrote that he wished to surrender his Permission to Officiate (PTO). 

"I am in my ninetieth year now and have been in active ministry since 1962 when I was made Deacon and then Priested in 1963," he said.

"It has been an honour to serve in the dioceses of London, Southwell, Durham, Bristol, Bath and Wells, Canterbury and finally Oxford."

Carey's decision to give up his PTO comes amid pressure on the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, to resign over his handling of the Tudor case while he was Bishop of Cheltenham. 

Cottrell has denied claims of inaction in the Tudor case and is resisting calls to go.

"When I joined the Chelmsford diocese in 2010, I worked closely with its very professional safeguarding team to ensure the risk was managed," he said.

"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."

The Church of England said in a statement on the BBC investigation, "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."