To recap: Peter Ball was a
prominent Church of England Bishop who served from 1977 to 1991 as
Bishop of Lewes (part of the now notorious Chichester diocese) and then,
until his resignation in 1993, as Bishop of Gloucester. Ball was more
than just another Bishop, however: exceptionally well connected in
establishment circles, he was a personal friend of Prince Charles and
dined regularly with Margaret Thatcher.
In 1992 Ball was investigated by
the police for sexual offences against a 15 year old boy, Neil Todd.
There followed an extraordinary campaign in support of Ball: nearly 2000
letters of support including from many prominent establishment figures.
In March 1993, on the basis that the Todd offence was a one-off lapse,
Ball was let off with a caution. He resigned as Bishop of Gloucester,
but continued to officiate at church services. The suspicion persisted,
however, that Ball had committed many other offences. Eventually, in
2015, following a second police inquiry, he was convicted of multiple
sexual crimes spanning several decades, and imprisoned.