The governing body of the Traditional Anglican Communion has suspended Archbishop John Hepworth, whose allegations that he was raped more than 40 years ago as a young Catholic priest by three other clerics were found to be unsubstantiated by investigators.

The disciplinary action by the College of Bishops makes Hepworth ineligible to continue in his role as bishop ordinary of the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia and as head of the Traditional Anglican Communion, the breakaway group seeking membership in the Anglican ordinariate established by Pope Benedict.