Head of Caldey Abbey off Pembrokeshire apologises for 'great suffering' of abused children

The head of an abbey on a remote Welsh island has apologised for the "great suffering" endured by children who were abused by a late monk, and the "culture of secrecy and cover-up" that kept it hidden, after an independent review.

Father Jan Rossey, who last year became the Abbot of Caldey Abbey, off the the coast of Pembrokeshire in west Wales and home to Cistercian Order monks, commissioned a review into alleged historical child sex abuse by monks.

The review, led by former assistant police and crime commissioner at South Wales Police, Jan Pickles, examined allegations dating from the late 1960s to 1992. They had been made by people who said they experienced abuse on the island as children, some whom lived there and others who visited.

Father Thaddeus Kotik, who died in 1992, sexually abused girls and boys while he was a monk at the abbey. The review concluded that he used a tortoise and "other attractive treats" to entice children into the monastery garden, where he would sexually abuse them.

The report also said he "groomed" parents by "overwhelming" them with attention, offering babysitting help and giving small gifts.

In the wake of the report, Father Rossey said: "It is with deep sorrow and regret that I have read in the review of the great suffering of children who were abused by Father Thaddeus Kotik and the closed culture of secrecy and cover-up which kept this hidden.

"It is clear opportunities were missed to stop the abuse of children. It is particularly heartbreaking to hear children spoke up to adults and no action was taken."

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