Bishop of Lincoln Stephen Conway arrested on suspicion of sexual assault

The Bishop of Lincoln, Stephen Conway, 68, has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault as part of an ongoing police investigation. He has been released on conditional bail.

Bishop of Lincoln arrested over sexual assault allegation, Church suspends him from ministry

The Bishop of Lincoln, the Right Reverend Stephen Conway, has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, bbc.com reports. Lincolnshire Police confirmed the arrest of a 68-year-old man as part of an "ongoing investigation following an allegation that a man was sexually assaulted between 2018 and 2025".

Conway has been released on conditional bail. The BBC said it attempted to contact him for comment.

The Church of England announced Conway had been suspended from ministry while a "safeguarding complaint" was under investigation, and that the matter had been referred to the "appropriate statutory authorities". The Diocese of Lincoln confirmed to the BBC that the initial complaint was made to the Church of England's national safeguarding team at the end of January.

In a statement on its website, the Diocese said the Bishop of Grantham, Dr Nicholas Chamberlain, would act as Diocesan Bishop during the suspension period and that "support was in place for those affected". It added: "We understand that this will be a deeply unsettling time."

Following the arrest, The Guardians of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham said Conway had resigned from his post as Visitor to the Shrine. In a statement on their website, they "acknowledged with gratitude the work Bishop Conway had done" and said a successor would be chosen in the near future.

Conway, who also sits as a member of the House of Lords, was formally installed as Bishop of Lincoln in November 2023. In 2024, he was among a number of clergy members criticised in a report into the Church of England's handling of the abuser John Smyth, though Conway stated he had done all he could within his authority at the time.

Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)