We represented six victims of sexual abuse by monk Father Thaddeus in civil compensation claims which finally resolved in 2017.
We welcome the publishing of an independent safeguarding review into sexual abuse of children on Caldey Island, released just before Christmas 2024. The Review revealed that frequent allegations of abuse had been brought to the Abbot's attention, but weren't followed up on or reported to the police, enabling a monk to abuse children over four decades "in plain sight". Moreover, the review's author found there was “a failure of leadership at the highest level within the order and abbey”. She said the abbey had responded in a "heartless way" to victims who were "very vulnerable and very damaged" by what had happened "at the hands of a monk, part of its community".
During the course of the civil claims, the extent of the numerous allegations and the authorities' negligence in failing to competently deal with them were not fully known, so the Review is helpful in shining a strong light on what our clients always suspected: a flagrant 'turning a blind eye' and protectionism, which may explain why in the end, the claims settled out of court.
The Review made 13 recommendations, including that “all informal contact” between monks and visitors should stop, that selfies should halt, that survivors should sit on the island governance board, and that a clear “no touch” policy should be brought in. Although too late for those who have already gravely suffered at the hands of Father Thaddeus, these are welcomed. The current Abbot, Father Jan Rossey issued an apology after the Review was published.
If you have been affected by the events described in this article and would wish to explore a civil claim, please feel free to contact solicitor Tracey Emmott for a confidential, no-obligation conversation, who will be pleased to assist.
