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  Man Claims to Be Victim of Jailed Coventry Pervert Priest

Coventry Telegraph
March 29, 2011

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2011/03/29/man-claims-to-be-victim-of-jailed-coventry-pervert-priest-92746-28421530/

ANOTHER man has come forward to claim he was a victim of former Coventry priest James Robinson.

The 73-year-old was jailed for 21 years at Birmingham Crown Court last October after being found guilty of multiple sex offences against six boys, as young as 10.

His trial followed a lengthy extradition process after he fled to America amid abuse rumours in the 1980s.

The Telegraph previously reported how two new victims came forward before Robinson's trial but action could not be taken in relation to their claims.

Anna Wheeler, a senior prosecutor with West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service's Complex Casework Unit, extradited Robinson to face justice.

Ms Wheeler revealed two new victims had come forward before the trial and another afterwards.

She explained there will be no further prosecution, although their evidence is "entirely believable".

She said: "One of two new victims who came forward just before the trial had previously sued the Church over his abuse. He didn't wish to be involved in the court case.

"The other person was unable mentally to cope with the idea of court proceedings."

Ms Wheeler added that one other person had come forward to claim they had been abused by Robinson after he was jailed.

She said: "They have now been advised by the police that the public interest will not be served by prosecuting Robinson again, because of the length of sentence he received.

"He's serving 21 years; he's really not likely to come out."

Robinson moved from parish to parish in Coventry and Birmingham between 1959 and 1983.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s he served at St Elizabeth's Church in Foleshill.

His congregation viewed him as a "charismatic, charming, forceful personality" – but behind the scenes he was grooming youngsters.

Robinson continued to work as a priest after moving to California in 1985.

Ms Wheeler said no new victims of Robinson had come forward from the USA – but she feared they may in the future.

"I'd be surprised if there weren't other victims in the US, and some quite young people potentially.

"He was only 73 when convicted. It's unlikely that a man who was in his 50s who had abused the last victim pretty much until the end, would not have abused other people once he arrived in America."

Robinson has recently lost an appeal against sentence – but has not appealed against his conviction.

 
 

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