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A former bishop and vicar both caught up in separate abuse scandals were shielded by the Church in Wales despite warnings and reports of misconduct dating back to the 1980s. Anthony Pierce, a former Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, was sentenced to over four years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of indecent assault on a minor between 1985 and 1990. The Church in Wales has now confirmed that they were aware of a sexual misconduct allegation against Pierce made by a university student years before his criminal behavior came to light, although records show no disciplinary actions were taken against him at the time.
The student who reported Pierce’s behavior, Alisdair Adams, expressed anger at the Church’s failure to act on the information they had received about the former bishop. Adams claimed that the Church had known about the allegations against Pierce for over 40 years but chose to sweep them under the rug. He criticized the lack of investigation into his claims and the failure to prevent Pierce from abusing more victims during his tenure as a priest in Swansea.
Adams, now 59, emphasized the importance of taking all abuse allegations seriously, regardless of when they occurred. He called into question the Church’s handling of the situation and pointed out that safeguarding policies have improved since the incidents involving Pierce. The Church is currently conducting an internal investigation into the handling of the abuse claims against Pierce and has promised to include Adams’ complaint in the final report.
Despite evidence of misconduct going back decades, the Church in Wales has acknowledged a need for change in how they handle such allegations in the present day. Safeguarding officers within the Church have concluded that the way Pierce’s case was handled in the past was not up to current standards and have emphasized the importance of reporting any safeguarding concerns to the appropriate authorities within the Church. The survivors of abuse, like Alisdair Adams, are encouraged to reach out for support and guidance through the BBC Action Line
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