Former
Bishop & ‘Loyal Friend’ Of Prince Charles Arrested In Church Of England
Child Sex Abuse Investigation
17 November 2012
2012TheBigPicture – Former Bishop &
‘Loyal Friend’ Of Prince Charles Arrested In Church Of England Child Sex Abuse
Investigation
Posted on November
16, 2012 by lucas2012infos
Police investigating complaints of sexual abuse in the
Church of England have arrested a former bishop and ”loyal friend” of Prince
Charles.
The
Rt Rev Peter Ball, 80, was detained at his home on suspicion of abusing eight
boys and men ranging in age from 12 to their early twenties.
The
alleged incidents are thought to have taken place during the late 1980s and
early 1990s at addresses in East Sussex and elsewhere.
Ball,
the former Bishop of Lewes and Gloucester, was arrested following a
“comprehensive” three-month investigation into the Chichester Diocese.
The
intelligence contained “reviews of church files relating to certain child
safeguarding issues within the Chichester diocese from between 20 and 25 years
ago”.
They
also reviewed internal church files containing details of clergymens’ careers
in the diocese, including Ball’s.
Detective
Chief Inspector Carwyn Hughes of Sussex Police, who is in charge of the
investigation, said; “We make it clear that the force will always take
seriously any allegations of historic sexual offending, and every possible step
will be taken to investigate whenever appropriate.
“Allegations
of historic offences are treated just as seriously as any more recent
offences.”
Ball,
of Langport, Somerset, resigned as Bishop in 1993, only two years after he was
appointed.
He
quit after receiving a police caution for committing an act of gross indecency
against a trainee teenage monk.
Shortly
afterwards he was given sanctuary by the Prince of Wales who personally invited
him to live in Manor Lodge, in the village of Aller, Somerset, a Duchy of
Cornwall property.
St Andrew’s Church in Burgess Hill,
Chichester, which is one of the churches in the Rt Rev Peter Ball’s diocese.
There is no suggestion that St Andrew’s is linked to the abuse (file picture)
But
it is thought after living in the property for more than a decade he moved to
another house in the same village last year.
Ball,
who has previously described the Prince as “a loyal friend”, is thought to be
the most senior member of the Church of England to be arrested after
investigations started.
Speaking
at the time he was given the house, Ball said: “He [The Prince of Wales] has
been wonderfully kind and allowed me to have a duchy house.”
“The
prince is a loyal friend. I have immense admiration for him, he has been
through horrific times and is a great person.”
Sussex
Police said another unnamed 67-year-old retired priest, was also detained at
his home this morning near Haywards Heath, West Sussex, on suspicion of
separate sex offences against two teenage boys in East Sussex between 1981 and
1983.
They
added that: “There are no allegations of recent or current offending and police
emphasise that there is nothing to suggest that any young people are currently
at risk.
“Police
also stress that the allegations are being treated separately and do not
involve the two men allegedly acting together.”
A
Sussex Police spokesman said Bishop Ball, and the unnamed man were currently in
custody pending interview and further inquiries.
No comments:
Post a Comment