Complaint under CDM 2003: Revd Timothy Davis

January 8, 2018

The Archdeacon of Dorchester made a complaint pursuant to Rule 4 CDM against the Revd Timothy Davis, Vicar of Christ Church, Abingdon, in respect of the mentoring he provided to a 15/16-year-old schoolboy whose family were members of his congregation. The complaint was that from the end of 2011/beginning of 2012 he began to mentor the boy

“with such intensity and in such a manner that he was in breach of safeguarding procedures both of the national Church but also of the parish and that this amounted to spiritual abuse and thereby he is guilty of misconduct”.

The Tribunal upheld the complaint, concluding that by his behaviour Mr Davis had abused his spiritual power and authority over the boy “and in so doing placed himself in breach of the Guidelines for professional conduct of clergy” and that this amounted to misconduct unbecoming and inappropriate to the work and office of a Clerk in Holy Orders. He was therefore guilty of misconduct under s.8 CDM [59]. The Tribunal emphasised that there was no suggestion of any sexual touching by Mr Davis. There would be a further hearing to fix penalty.