East-bishop alleged victim died before police report

The allegation of sexual abuse against a priest, which became a bishop, appears to have reported the “senior figures” in the church 17 years before the police was passed.

Anthony Pierce’s alleged victim, it is believed to have been under 18 years of age, until the church approached the police in 2010, he died.

This meant that the allegation of sexual assault could not be investigated. It only came out after the former bishop of Swanasi and Brexon accepted five cases of indecent attack on a child in another case.

The Church in Wales stated that an independent review had begun in or out of separate allegations of “unfair (and potential criminal) conduct” of Peers in or around 1990.

South Wales Police said: “Sadly, the victim died in this specific case in 2010 when there were allegations of misuse of allegations.

“So we are not able to pursue the investigation.”

In 17 years since the allegations in 1993, Pierce was selected and served as a bishop of Swanasi and Brexon for nine years from 1999.

In 2002, he was made a commander of the Order of St. John, who was honored for the “extraordinary” charitable service and to the needy people in the hospital settings.

He stood as a bishop of Swanasi and Brexon in January 2008, at the age of 67.

He was awarded an honorary fellowship by the University of Swanasi in 2011, which the institution has now said that it will review.

Allegations of sexual abuse came up after that Former bishop accepted five historical cases of abusive attack on male child under 16 years of age. Earlier this month, Swanasi in Crown Court.

Those attacks dated between 1985 and 1990 when he was a Parish priest in West Cross, Swansi. He was picked up with a church security officer in 2023 and was later investigated.

Pierce is being sentenced for those allegations on 7 March.

In Wales, the church said, “After these crimes came to the fore,” An internal investigation was initiated and evidence was found that in 1993 a small number of members of the church in Wales about another charge against Mr. Pierce I knew, but that it was not shared with the police until 2010 ”.

An independent review, expected to last for three months and lead by Gabriel Higgins, will see how the second charge was handled by the church.

Reference State Terms: “The allegation is related to conducting in or around in 1990 and seems to be first reported to senior data at the Church in Wales in 1993.

“The victim is now dead, and these conditions of reference are called ‘XY’.”

The church in Wales stated that it was related to allegations of “unfair (and possible criminal) conduct” against the former bishop, and the other victim was believed to be “under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged crime”.

It would also look at the period of the time when the permission of the Pierce’s official permission was removed and restored between 2011 and 2016.

This said that the review would consider how the allegations were handled in the current systems for the appointment of ArcDcon and Bishop, and what changes were necessary.

Experts are now calling for a comprehensive review of the historical allegations controlled by the church in Wales.

Rebecca Sheriff is a lawyer and childhood sexual exploitative specialist who has successfully represented several civil customers against the church in Wales during misconduct by former Wicker Stephen Brooks in Swansi in the 1980s and 1990s.

While he welcomed the review, he said about the fact that the allegations against Peyrs were not immediately reported to the police, which meant that other historical failures could occur.

He said: “It can be potentially the tip of the iceberg.

“I think it is very clear here that it was not really punished, he was promoted, and really has its broad results.”

Child misconduct works with lawyer David Greenwood Charity McSass, who represents people who have been saved from sexual abuse of the church, and have represented customers against the church in the first Wales.

He welcomed the claim of the church that the report would be published completely, but said that the way it was being held, there were issues in it.

“The basis of this review is narrowed,” he said.

“The church in Wales has selected its own critic, it has banned dates or years that can be investigated, the most recent punishment has been excluded.”

He said: “As long as the process is not perfect, there is still a doubt that things have been hurled or swept under a carpet.”

The Church in Wales stated that the person’s own choice was independent to lead the review, its security committee was approved by the security committee, and “no bishop or pastor, nor any from Swanasi and Brexon’s state, included selections. “.

This added, if necessary, the terms of the review can be increased.

A spokesman said: “All this is placed in a public domain on the first occasion. Anything widely under carpet, it displays exactly the opposite.”

He encouraged anyone to come forward with concerns.

“If our people and procedures fail the victims and the survivors of misconduct in the past, then we intend to take responsibility for the fact and implement the lessons that have been learned.”

The Children’s Commissioner for Wales Rosio Sifunts said that the Welsh government needs to recently follow the national inquiry recommendations and establish an independent body that monitors security in religious institutions.

He said: “The fact that there is no independent monitoring of the security system of religious institutions, there is a significant difference and a significant concern.”

The Welsh government stated that it “reviews and strengthening security systems and continues to implement child sexual abuse recommendations with independent investigation”.

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