This blog provides information about the actions and inaction of the Diocese of Salford in cases where their priests have been convicted of criminal offences involving the abuse of children. It highlights cases such as that of William Green, former parish priest of Holy Family, Wigan who was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment for 27 offences against children aged between eight and 16 years, in 2008, but who had not been laicised (dismissed from the clerical state)two years later.
“If a bishop, priest or deacon is convicted of a criminal offence against children and is sentenced to serve a term of imprisonment of 12 months or more, then it would normally be right to initiate the process of laicisation. Failure to do so would need to be justified. Initiation of the process of laicisation may also be appropriate in other circumstances.”
Three women accuse Catholic priest of sexually abusing them as children
See http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/rochdale-catholic-priest-canon-mortimer-6381949
Canon Mortimer Stanley, 82, who retired in 2002 from St
Vincent de Paul RC Church in Norden, Rochdale, has been interviewed by
police under caution.
Three women have claimed they were indecently assaulted and sexually abused while pupils at nearby St Vincent’s Primary School.
The women were aged under 11 when its is alleged the offences happened between 1980 and 2000.
It is claimed the abuse was committed in a presbytery next to the school.
Canon Stanley, who joined the church as parish priest in 1972, retired to his native Ireland in 2002.
Police have appealed to other women who may have information to come forward.
Det Con Christian Chivers, of GMP's
Public Protection Unit, said: “I want to reassure local residents, and
more importantly parents of children currently at St Vincent’s that
these are historical incidents.
“While we do not believe there is any reason for current pupils or
their families to be unduly concerned, this is extremely serious and
upsetting for the victims in this case, who we are continuing to provide
specialist support to.
Canon Stanley retired to Ballybunion in Kerry, Ireland in 2002. Anyone with information should either call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Paul's blog refers to the Hogben Family Trust as the owners of the building near St Bede's College where William Green was housed earlier this year; a technicality which allowed the CEO of Salford Caritas to assure me that Green was not, in fact, accommodated in a property 'owned' by his organisation!
Further research now reveals that the Hogben Family Charitable Trust is a "Removed Charity" which "ceased to exist" on 2 July 2009 (see http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/RemovedCharityMain.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1114551&SubsidiaryNumber=0 )
Governors
at a top Catholic school rocked by historic sex abuse claims have
stepped down to shield themselves from legal action brought by almost
20 alleged victims.
Former
headmaster John Byrne is among seven governors who have resigned from
the board at St Bede’s College, the M.E.N. can reveal.
The Bishop
of Salford, the Diocese of Salford and governors at the Whalley Range
school all face being sued over accusations that former rector
Monsignor Thomas Duggan sexually abused schoolboys at St Bede’s
during the 1950s and 1960s.
The M.EN.
has learnt that one alleged victim claims he was raped by the late
Mgr Duggan as a 12-year-old. We can also reveal that accusations of
serious sexual abuse have been made against two other priests at St
Bede’s in the 1950s – Father Charles Mulholland and Father
Vincent Hamilton – who have both also since died.
It is
understood the seven lay governors have now stood down to protect
themselves from claims brought by 17 alleged victims. Ten governors
remain – including priests and some lay board members. Accused: Monsignor Thomas Duggan pictured at St Bede's
None of the
governors who have stepped down were at the school at the time of the
alleged abuse.
A
spokeswoman for St Bede’s said: “The college understands that the
governors did indeed resign tactically in order to protect themselves
insofar as possible from the legal claims.
“Whilst
it is the college’s position that the current governors can have no
personal liability for events alleged to have occurred over 50 years
ago, and before many of the current governors were even born, that
has not been accepted by the solicitors acting for some of the
claimants, so the governors felt they had no option but to resign.
“The
college deeply regrets their resignations but entirely appreciates
the reasons why they have resigned.”
At the time
of the claims against Mgr Duggan, when the Alexandra Road school was
run by the diocese, a rector was in charge. Mgr Duggan died in 1968
after leaving St Bede’s.
Georgina
Calvert-Lee, barrister at AO Advocates, which is acting on behalf of
14 alleged victims, confirmed that litigation was ‘imminent’.
She added:
“Many of the allegations are about Mgr Duggan. By all accounts he
was an oppressive presence in the school. Boys have told us how he
terrified they were of him.”
Ms
Calvert-Lee said there were allegations of harsh assaults and
beatings and Mgr Duggan was accused of raping one boy early in his
tenure and others later. She added accusations had been made against
Fr Mulholland and Fr Hamilton.
According
to Companies House, Mr Byrne, who was at the school for 25 years,
resigned in March – along with four others. Mr Byrne, of Hale
Barns, Altrincham, said: “I have resigned as governor but I cannot
comment any further because of legal proceedings.”
The Diocese
of Salford declined to comment.
The
scandal involving Mgr Duggan, which emerged in 2011, was the second
to hit St Bede’s. In 2010, Father William Green was jailed for six
years after sexually abusing a string of boys.
Father
Tim Hopkins was interviewed under caution over allegations he sexually abused a
girl aged 11
Father
Tim Hopkins, 44, was interviewed under caution by detectives investigating
allegations a girl was molested on three occasions between 2004 and 2007. It is
understood he was not arrested.
He has
been suspended from his church duties by the Salford diocese as a 'neutral act'
while the police probe continues.
Fr
Hopkins remains a governor at St Bedes RC College in Whalley Range, Thomas More
RC College in Denton and St Mary's RC Primary.
Before
taking over as parish priest for the Haughton Green area of Denton in 2010, Fr
Hopkins had been priest at St Vincent's in Openshaw and St Brigid's in Beswick.
The
incidents are alleged to have taken place in Manchester, not Tameside, in
connection with Fr Hopkins' ministry.
A
spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “A 44-year-old man has been
interviewed by detectives investigating a report of sexual abuse."
Police
added the questioning related to alleged assaults between 2004 and 2007 when
the complainant was aged between 11 and 14, and that inquiries were ongoing.
A ruling that the Catholic Church can be held liable for the wrongdoings of its priests has been upheld.
See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-18278529
Last year Mr Justice MacDuff decided in favour of a woman, now 47 and
known as JGE who reports that as a child she was beaten by a nun at a care home in Hampshire and
later raped and sexually assaulted by a priest of the
Portsmouth Diocese, Fr Wilfred Baldwin, who
has since died.
The Court of Appeal has upheld this decision, which raises
"an issue of wide general importance in respect of claims against the
Catholic Church".
Lawyers for the claimant said of the ruling in November 2011
that it was the first time a court had been asked to rule on whether the
"relationship between a Catholic priest and his bishop is akin to an
employment relationship".
After the latest hearing, the claimant's lawyer Tracey Emmott
said: 'It is hoped that this ruling will now be accepted, and that
victims of abuse by Catholic priests can be treated with the dignity and
respect they deserve."
The Court of Appeal judgement said the diocese could not
appeal against the decision until a similar case at the Supreme Court on
23 July had been concluded.
Speaking after the original ruling last year, the alleged
victim said: "I relive it in my nightmares. It doesn't go just because
I'm not in a court room - because I know that when I go to sleep it will
be there.
This, of course is the
same Mark Davies, Bishop of Shrewsbury,
who was previously the vicar general in the Diocese of Salford where Father
Thomas Doherty was never laicised, despite being convicted in 1998 for five
offences of indecency against a child and being sentenced to six years
imprisonment (Doherty went to his grave in 2010 retaining his canonical status
as a priest) and where many are waiting to see what the impact of today’s
ruling will be in the cases of survivors of abuse by deceased Salford diocesan
priests (see http://caads.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/bishop-of-salford-forced-to-apologise.html
).
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