Police investigate sex abuse claims against men linked to Church

BBC News

3 days ago

A convicted bishop and a former vicar of the Church in Wales are being investigated by detectives over allegations of historical sexual abuse, the BBC can reveal.Four people have told BBC Wales Investigates about abuse being ignored at the crisis-hit Church and have called for an independent inquiry.Former Bishop of Swansea and Brecon Anthony Pierce, jailed for child sexual abuse earlier this year, faces fresh historical sex abuse allegations while a former vicar is also being investigated by South Wales Police.The Church in Wales have said they were "profoundly sorry" and apologised to "anyone who has suffered or been let down by failings."
Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of sexual assaultThe BBC investigation found concerns about Pierce were reported to Church officials in 1986 - 13 years before he became Bishop of Swansea and Brecon - but nothing was done.One victim has waived his right to anonymity to speak out and questions how a "predator" was allowed to become a Bishop when serious concerns had been raised about him.
It is the latest controversy to hit the Church in Wales after the Archbishop of Wales retired last month after two critical reports highlighted safeguarding concerns where "sexual boundaries seemed blurred" at his north Wales diocese of Bangor.People who sang with the Bangor Cathedral choir also told the BBC there had been a "binge drinking culture".Although there is no suggestion the former archbishop behaved inappropriately. the church's representative body said there must be a "change in leadership, procedures and governance in the diocese of Bangor".BBC Wales understands the current police investigation is looking into historical sexual abuse allegations against Pierce, as well as a former vicar of the Church in Wales.Three alleged victims, from across Wales whose allegations span decades, have told BBC Wales Investigates they want an independent inquiry into the Church in Wales abuse.
Alisdair Adams was 18 and at University College Swansea, now Swansea University, when he first met Pierce who was a parish priest in the city in the 1980s. "He invited me to his house for dinner to see how we could work together and gave me lots of white wine and no food," said Alisdair, now 59.Alisdair said Pierce moved to sit on the arm of the sofa before the lights went out suddenly."He grabbed me and pulled me into him and held me tightly," he added. "I could feel his erect penis through his brown nylon trousers."
'He was the predator and we were the prey'
Alisdair said he left immediately and reported the incident to a Methodist minister.He said he was invited to speak to the Anglican campus chaplain and said two other students were interviewed that day about Pierce.
BBC Wales Investigates has spoken to Mark Dickey-Collas, who was also interviewed. He said he was also invited to Pierce's house and offered alcohol before the lights went out and Pierce came onto him.Mark said the chaplain reported his concerns to the Church and Pierce was banned from campus and university halls.The Church in Wales said it was not aware of the report but confirmed it was undertaking enquiries into how it responded at the time.
Pierce continued as a priest and worked as chaplain at Swansea's Singleton Hospital. He became Bishop of Swansea and Brecon in 1999, and met the then Prince Charles, now King Charles, while he was on a visit to Swansea in 2002.Pierce admitted five charges of indecent assault against a boy under the age of 16 between 1985 and 1990 and was sentenced to four years and one month in March.
"I'm dumbfounded as to why this man with allegations swirling around him in 1985 and 1986 was allowed to be employed by the church," Alisdair told BBC Wales Investigates."And they promoted him to Bishop. He was a predator and we were the prey and the Church did nothing about it."The Church is currently holding a review into claims "senior figures" were aware of a separate allegation of abuse against Pierce in 1993 which was not passed to police until 2010.After becoming Bishop, Pierce was in ultimate charge of Church safeguarding in his diocese.
Ruth, not her real name, told BBC Wales serious allegations she made about a choirmaster were not acted on by Pierce.She says Brecon Cathedral choirmaster David Gedge assaulted her on a choir exchange to Ireland in 2001 when she was 17 years old."He suggested we go for a walk," said Ruth, who was a chorister at the cathedral. "He held my arm and turned me round and kissed me. In that moment I felt just kind of shattered."
"He put his hand underneath my top and was touching me. He talked about his wife and as he was talking about this his hands were moving and he put his hands down my trousers and into my pants. "All of this was happening whilst I was really frozen."She said she was scared to report the abuse initially, but eventually did two years later to try and protect other choristers.
'The Church allowed my abuser to have more opportunities'
Pierce was Bishop of Swansea and Brecon at the time - and Ruth says he did nothing.The Church in Wales admitted there was no record of action against Mr Gedge in 2003 and any decisions about the case would have been made by Pierce.Mr Gedge continued to work with children in the choir for four years before retiring.
"Anthony Pierce did not abuse me, but he allowed my abuse to go unaccounted for and for my abuser to have many more opportunities to do the same thing," said Ruth."I don't know how many other people are without justice because Anthony Pierce stopped their case from moving forward - maybe to protect his friends, maybe to take the eyes off him."Ruth said she went to the police in 2012 after the lack of action by the Church.
BBC Wales Investigates has seen police documents that say Mr Gedge admitted holding Ruth's hand, taking her for a walk and talking to her about intimate details of his life but he denied assaulting her.The Director of Public Prosecutions in Ireland said there appeared to be substance to Ruth's allegations but it was unlikely a prosecution would be successful.Mr Gedge was prevented from holding any role in the Church after 2012. He died in 2016.Former priest Graham Sawyer started working in Pontypool in south Wales in 2003 when he raised concerns about Darren Jenkins, a youth leader and lay reader - someone who can preach and take services.
'I was told I should be very careful about reporting abuse'
"I was worried about the inappropriate touching," he said. "It didn't appear sexual, it was hugging."As a former sexual abuse victim himself, Graham tried to raise the alarm."I was told that I should be very careful or I'd end up in court," he said.He said he went to the police after he became concerned at the lack of action by the Church in Wales and left Pontypool for Australia. Jenkins was jailed in 2006 for raping a 16-year-old boy five times.Graham said cases like Pierce's show "the culture has not changed".
"Whenever there's a problem, they will close ranks and ignore. If that doesn't work, they would attack you with great ferocity," he told BBC Wales Investigates.The Church in Wales is a separate body to the Church of England and both have separate safeguarding departments to protect vulnerable people including children.Graham has written to Welsh politicians urging them to call on the Senedd to hold an independent inquiry.The Church in Wales has been subject to two independent safeguarding reports to date - the Historic Cases Review in 2009 and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA) which started in 2014.Justin Welby stepped down as the Archbishop of Canterbury in 2024 after a damning report into a prolific child abuser associated with the Church of England.An IICSA panel member has questioned if the Church in Wales has done enough since that report and thought there should be an external review into the Church.
"We did make it very clear that there were quite a lot of significant gaps and operational shortcomings," Professor Sir Malcolm Evans told the BBC."But there doesn't seem to have been a broad-ranging discussion as to the future in Wales as there has been in the Church of England. What we now need is that level of discussion, reflection, and action."
Church in Wales promise culture review
The Church in Wales has apologised and told the BBC that an external safeguarding audit of all cathedrals in Wales would be commissioned as well as a review into its culture. "There is no place in the Church for abuse, misconduct or concealment," a Church in Wales spokesman said."We are determined that the issues identified will be fully addressed and practices improved so that all church members, and the wider society, can have confidence that the church is, as it should be, a safe and supportive environment for all."The Church added its complaints handling process is now more independent, professional and robust and it is committed to continuous improvement.For information and support about any issues raised in this story contact the BBC Action Line.Additional reporting by Michela Riva