Investigation into two Sussex priests over child abuse claims
Friday, October 22 2010 @ 07:44 PM BST
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Tag: england By Emily Walker, Chief Reporter
An investigation has been launched into allegations that two priests accused of child abuse were allowed to continue working at Sussex churches.
The Reverend Collin Pritchard served as the vicar of St Barnabas, Bexhill, until 2007, despite having been first reported to police for sex offences ten years earlier. In July 2008 Pritchard was jailed for five years for sexually abusing two young boys.
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The Reverend Roy Cotton worked as a parish priest in Brede near Rye in the 1990s but had been convicted of a sexual offence against a boy in 1954.
Following Pritchard’s conviction the Bishop of Chichester commissioned an investigation into why the two men had been allowed to continue working for the church.
The Diocese of Chichester refused to reveal the results of that investigation, but has now ordered a second independent investigation.
A spokeswoman for the diocese said: “It has not been confirmed yet who will be conducting the investigation.
“It will be a High Court Judge, but we have not been given a name yet.
“This will be an independent investigation.
“The new investigation has been asked for because of issues with the previous investigation.”
The Archdeacon of Lewes and Hastings, the Ven Philip Jones said in a statement: "The Diocese of Chichester gives the protection of children the highest priority and takes seriously all concerns raised. A review is being undertaken into safeguarding practice in the diocese. We do not wish to pre-empt the outcome of that review and are unable to comment until it is completed."
Pritchard admitted six acts of indecency against a boy aged between 12 and 15, while he was in charge of a church in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, in the early 1980s.
Cotton and Pritchard were accused of abusing a second boy, but prosecutors decided there was not enough evidence to charge Cotton before his death.
The investigation comes after the Church of England promised to investigate the case of Rev Ronald Glazebrook.
The church vowed to investigate reports Mr Glazebrook sexually abused altar boy Christopher Hunnissett, after they were revealed during Hunnisett’s re-trial for the vicar’s murder in September.
Mr Hunnisett was cleared after eight years in jail, however it also emerged Mr Glazebrook, 81, may have had other victims and had been allowed to work at Christ Church, St Leonards, despite having a gun conviction.
Tag: sussex
Sussex England
http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/847060...se_claims/
