A bishop has been charged with two counts of rape against a female under the age of 16.
Staffordshire Police say the charges against David James Oakley, the Bishop of Northampton, follow his arrest in September last year. The offences are alleged to have taken place in Staffordshire, the force said.
Oakley, 70, is due to appear at Cannock Magistrates’ Court on 14 August.
In a statement, the Catholic Diocese of Northampton – which covers Northamptonshire , Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire – confirmed the charges against Oakley “after an investigation into non-recent safeguarding allegations”.
It said it recognised the case was “very distressing for all concerned”, but could not comment further due to active legal proceedings.
According to the diocese, Oakley was born in Stourbridge in the West Midlands and was ordained in 1980.
He served in several parishes within the Archdiocese of Birmingham before becoming Bishop of Northampton in 2020.
Do you have a story suggestion for Northamptonshire? Contact us below.