AN ALLEGATION of misconduct, made under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM), against the Revd John Woolmer, a cleric named in the Makin report, will not proceed to a tribunal.
Last February, the National Safeguarding Team (NST) sought permission from the President of the Tribunals, Sir Stephen Males, to bring complaints under the CDM against ten members of the clergy (News, 28 February 2025) who had been named in the Makin review concerning John Smyth’s abuse (News, 5 December 2024). Permission to proceed against seven of these, including Mr Woolmer, was granted.
Mr Woolmer, who retired in 2007, led the Christian Forum at Winchester College from the time of his ordination in 1972 to 1975, when he was a teacher and assistant chaplain there. The Makin report says that Smyth had begun visiting the College to speak at the Forum from 1975. Mr Woolmer described to the reviewer concerns that Smyth “had far too great an influence”, and that Mr Woolmer had been concerned about the direction that the Forum was taking. He commented that Smyth was “‘dead behind the eyes’, despite his apparent charisma”.
Later, Mr Woolmer, who served as an assistant curate in Oxford from 1975 to 1982, was reportedly approached by a student of the University of Oxford, around late 1981 or early 1982, “to say that he was worried about something ‘very serious’ which involved abuse. John Woolmer did not pursue this and has reported to Reviewers that he has regretted that since”. He was, Mr Woolmer said to the reviewer, told in strict confidence under the seal of confession.
A statement from the NST, published on Wednesday, said that the CDM outcome for Mr Woolmer had now been received. “The matter was referred to the designated officer for investigation, following which the evidence was placed before the President of Tribunals.
“The President concluded that Reverend Woolmer’s conduct did not meet the threshold for a finding of misconduct and therefore there was no case for him to answer. The proceedings have now ended.”
