Now there are seven
From today's TimesInspection reports on Downside, which is run by the Benedictine order and charges boarders fees of £26,000 per year, refer specifically to seven monks who have worked at the school at...
View ArticleThe abbot's new letter
Today, the Abbot of Downside sent the following email to the Old Gregorians mailing list. I'm going to reproduce it in full and then comment on it in my next article, so that nobody can claim that I'm...
View ArticleTruths and half-truths - the abbot's letter analysed.
Let's start at the beginning of the Abbot's letter. We have received our Ofsted progress report, which is on our website and which is attached to this letter. It is very short and I hope you will read...
View ArticleBaroness Scotland quits the NCSC
The Times reported on Saturday that Baroness Scotland has resigned from her role as chair of the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission. The Times saysLady Scotland’s office at the House of Lords...
View ArticleThe second cautioned monk
Abbot Aidan Bellenger only named one of the two monks who has recently been given a caution. The other who has gone to live in Ireland, was left unnamed. The Belfast Telegraph has named him. He is...
View ArticleBrother Anselm
The Times has more on Michael Hurt, also known as Brother Anselm.He taught at Downside during the 1960s but left the order because of “conflict” and worked in adult education in Liverpool before moving...
View ArticleFather Raphael Appleby
This week's Tablet contains an article about how Abbot Aidan Bellenger dealt with the allegations of abuse of a vulnerable adult by Father Raphael Appleby. This is Bellenger's description of the...
View ArticleReporting is important
In The Times todayA paedophile primary school teacher was able to abuse children as young as six for years because his head teacher ignored concerns raised by colleagues.Nigel Leat, who was jailed...
View ArticleAbuse must have no hiding place
The following is the text of an article I wrote that has been published in this week's edition of The Tablet.================One man's blog has highlighted complaints of abuse at St Benedict's School,...
View ArticleFather Gregory Chillman
Time for a recap. Paragraphs 57 and 58 of the Carlile report stated the following.57. There remained continuing concerns about what should happen to monks who had been convicted, banned (named in List...
View ArticleFather David Pearce
Yes, at the time of writing he is still Father David Pearce. He's due out of prison fairly shortly, having served half of his five year sentence. If he hasn't been laicized by the time he leaves...
View Article£50,000 settlement
A former pupil has reached a settlement with Ealing Abbey concerning abuses committed against him by Father David Pearce. The victim, whose identity is protected by court order, is one of the five whom...
View ArticleJulian Clary on St Benedict's
In an interview in the Times Magazine today (behind paywall), Julian Clary has spoken out about his time as a pupil at St Benedict's School.Like the parents of so many comedians, his too are Catholic....
View ArticleAn apology to a victim
Last month, one of the many cases against Ealing Abbey was settled, and Abbot Martin Shipperlee, as part of the settlement wrote the following apology to the victim.Dear [name withheld]Following the...
View ArticleThe cost of Carlile
The "Annual Report and Accounts" for The Trust of St Benedict's Abbey, Ealing to the end of August 2011 have recently been published on the Charity Commission website. You can see the accounts for 2011...
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Wellington College
Yesterday, Bruce Roth, a teacher and housemaster at Wellington College, began an 11 year sentence following his conviction in Reading Crown Court on 17 counts of sexual abuses against five boys, some...
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Abbot Laurence Soper
Abbot Laurence Soper, wanted by the policeThe police have obtained a European Arrest Warrant for Abbot Laurence Soper in connection with allegations of sexual assaults committed while he was a monk and...
View ArticleThe Horsey Building
Father Kevin Horsey, an Ealing monk from 1942 until his death in 2006, was a prolific child sex abuser. I have written about him before, here and here, The Daily Mail has also named him. His obituary...
View ArticleUpdate on Soper
The online version of the Mail on Sunday article has just been updated with an interesting new piece of information.A former worker has also raised concerns about Soper’s time as part-time chaplain at...
View ArticleFailing to report abuse
In recent weeks, two senior Catholic churchmen have been found guilty of failing to report child sex abuse.In July, Monsignor William Lynn was sentenced to three to six years in jail for covering up a...
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