By Andrew Young
Daily Mail
January 29, 2011
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1351762/Police-drop-sex-probe-Radio-4-priest-Dom-Antony.html
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| Resigned: Dom Antony Sutch has stepped down as parish priest, after resigning from Radio 4's Thought For The Day |
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| Former school: Dom Antony was previously headteacher of Downside, a top Catholic independent school in Somerset |
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| Royal appointment: Dom Antony preached at the wedding of Laura Parker Bowles in 2006 |
A prominent Roman Catholic monk who regularly appeared on Radio 4's Today programme may soon return to his parish after police dropped an investigation into an alleged sex offence.
Dom Antony Sutch resigned as a contributor to Thought For The Day and withdrew from his parish last November after a complaint about his conduct while he was headmaster of a leading Catholic independent school.
The Benedictine monk, a spiritual mentor to the late Princess Diana who preached at the marriage of the daughter of the Duchess of Cornwall, is now 'on retreat' at an undisclosed location.
He is one of four Benedictine monks investigated by police in recent months over allegations connected to Downside School in Somerset, which charges boarders more than £25,000 a year. While Avon and Somerset Police have decided to take no further action against Dom Antony, he still faces
an internal Church inquiry. But the Abbot of Downside Abbey, of which Dom Antony is a member, said he hoped the monk would be able
to rejoin his parish of St Benet's in Beccles, Suffolk, after the inquiry.
Dom Aidan Bellinger said: 'There was no evidence of a criminal offence in his case and therefore the police are not proceeding any further.
'If somebody is subject to an alle¬gation, it results in an internal Church investigation under our safeguarding procedure, so he will not be reinstated immediately, but I hope in time he will return to his work in East Anglia.
'In general this procedure takes months rather than weeks or years.'
It is not known whether Dom Antony intends to return as a Thought For The Day contributor.
Police sources said they had been investigating accusations that he inappropriately touched a young person aged over 16 about 14 years ago, when he was head of the school. It is understood the claim was made by a third party and the alleged victim did not wish to make a complaint.
Downside's current headmaster, Dom Leo Maidlow Davis, said: 'Those against whom allegations have been made have voluntarily withdrawn from active ministry in the Church and they are not resident at Downside.'
Avon and Somerset Police said four monks had been investigated, and one was on bail while inquiries continued, but there was no evidence of criminal offences concerning the three others.
Dom Antony, a horse-racing and cricket fan, was headmaster of Downside School for eight years until 2002.
He was once regarded as Princess Diana's favourite Catholic priest and reportedly had a series of meetings with her, provoking speculation about her fascination with Catholicism. He is also a long-time friend of the Duchess of Cornwall's former husband, Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles.
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