Bishop David Oakley of Northampton, England, has been charged with two counts of rape of a minor, local police confirmed June 24. The bishop has been on a leave of absence since October last year, when he announced he was taking time away from the diocese for “personal reasons.”
The charges were confirmed by local police this week as part of an investigation into historical allegations of abuse against the English bishop, 70, which involved an arrest last September that had not been previously made public.
Shortly after that arrest, it was announced that the bishop, who has led the Diocese of Northampton since 2020, had taken a leave of absence for unexplained personal reasons. The diocese did not disclose the fact that the bishop had been arrested.
A statement from the diocese, released June 24, said that “the Diocese of Northampton can confirm that Bishop David Oakley has been charged after an investigation into non-recent safeguarding allegations. We understand that this will be very distressing for all concerned but cannot comment further on an active legal process.”
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