A Christian charity has filed a serious incident report relating to a former chaplain’s serious misconduct allegations, the Charity Commission has said.
Last week, Jesuits in Britain revealed that Damian Howard was asked to step down as senior chaplain at Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy in August 2025 “due to professional misconduct”.
The charity said Howard left his role following a complaint by a student that was investigated and substantiated.
A spokesperson for the Charity Commission confirmed to Civil Society that Jesuits in Britain “has filed a serious incident report relating to serious misconduct allegations” and is “assessing the concerns raised to determine what regulatory role there is, if any, for the commission”.
They said: “A charity should be a safe and trusted environment. As regulator, we’re clear that keeping people safe should be a governance priority for all charities.”
Jesuits in Britain has been entrusted with the chaplaincies at the University of Oxford and the University of Manchester, with Jesuits also serving as chaplains at the University of Birmingham and Imperial College London.
‘We take our safeguarding responsibilities very seriously’
In a statement, Jesuits in Britain said it is “committed to the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our communities”, and has “strengthened our practices over the years to ensure our institutions remain safe, supportive, and respectful places for all”.
“Damian Howard was asked to step down as senior chaplain at Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy in August 2025 due to professional misconduct, following a complaint that was investigated and substantiated,” it reads.
“The complaint was addressed immediately when it came to our attention.
“A safeguarding investigation confirmed that inappropriate behaviour had occurred, which we regard as entirely unacceptable.
“He was asked to step down and has been out of ministry ever since.”
The charity added that it has commissioned an independent review by the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency, which is underway, and is awaiting its recommendations.
“The matter has also been reported to the Charity Commission and to the relevant authorities,” it said.
“We take our safeguarding responsibilities very seriously and will continue to act as required.”
In a separate statement, Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy said: “We continue to take very seriously the wellbeing and welfare of students and all members of the chaplaincy community.”
