Man Held in Abuse Enquiry

Crawley and Horley Observer
March 6, 2012

http://www.crawleyobserver.co.uk/news/local/man-held-in-abuse-enquiry-1-3593944

A man has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting children in Crawley in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The 73-year-old was arrested on the morning of Tuesday March 6 at his home near Eastbourne, following a six-month investigation by a team of specialist Sussex Police child protection detectives.

The arrest was made in connection with assaults on nine youngsters in Crawley, London and Hampshire on dates between 1965 and 1972.

Several allegations against the man were made to police in 1972 but no criminal proceedings resulted. Another related allegation was made in 2001 and an arrest followed but there was insufficient evidence to justify criminal proceedings.

The investigation came after Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss conducted a review in 2011 of historic allegations of sexual abuse by Church of England priests against young people in Sussex and elsewhere. Both Sussex Police and the Diocese of Chichester provided detailed information to the review.

Detective Chief Inspector Carwyn Hughes said: “This is a very complex enquiry, in the course of which many people, all now adults, have had to be traced, together with other witnesses and records from a wide variety of sources. There are no allegations of recent or current offending and police emphasise that there is nothing to suggest that any children are currently at risk.

“The Diocese of Chichester are co-operating fully with police. Although the cases referred to are still under police investigation, Sussex Police make it clear that the force will always take seriously any allegations of historic sexual offending, and every possible step will be taken to investigate whenever appropriate.”

Acting Bishop of Chichester, Mark Sowerby said: “We are absolutely committed to making sure that our churches are safe communities for children and vulnerable adults and to giving the highest priority to statutory safeguarding practice and Church of England policies on safeguarding.

“We owe this to those who have suffered abuse and most especially to those who have suffered abuse at the hands of people exercising a ministry in the name of the Church.

“We are resolved to do whatever is necessary to prevent the abuse of children and vulnerable adults and to ensure that no one fails victims of abuse by failing to report information or knowledge of wrongdoing to the police.”

l A 70-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday (March 6) on suspicion of sexual assaults against three young men in West Sussex during the late 1970s and mid-1980s. Police have said the cases are being treated as separate enquiries at this stage.