A memo from June 2013, seen by Christian Today, reveals that John Sentamu received Ineson's allegation but recommended 'no action' be taken. Instead he replied to Ineson offering his prayers 'at this difficult time'. Devamanikkan went on to live in Witney, Oxfordshire, before eventually being charged with three counts of buggery and three counts of indecent assault last year. However he committed suicide the day before he was due in court in June last year.

The IICSA hearing, which used the diocese of Chichester as a case study, has drawn out a string of both recent and historical failures to protect children and vulnerable adults in the Church, including failure to report abuse and respond appropriately to survivors.

A report on the Anglican investigation is expected by the end of the year.

It has heard heard damning evidence of the Church's culture of deference that meant allegations against priests went unreported, how the Church's attitude to homosexuality affected it's response to abuse, how clergy repeatedly burned potentially crucial files in the belief it was important to 'wipe the slate clean' and how child victims were made to feel responsible for their abuse.

So are there signs of hope? It's not all bad news for the Kingdom: by that year more than 30% of churchgoers will be Pentecostal or independent evangelical. Amid general decline, some CofE churches are holding their own, and there are pockets of growth.