Peter Ball: Ex-bishop avoided abuse charges 'after royal family intervened', by Nicola Harley, Telegraph (October 7, 2015)

Former bishop of Lewes has been jailed at the Old Bailey for 32 months for abusing his power to exploit young aspiring priests for his own "selfish sexual motive" over 15 years.

A court heard Peter Ball avoided prosecution for sexual abuse in 1993 after the intervention of the royal family.

Ball, 83, was sentenced at the Old Bailey after using religion as a "cloak" to groom aspiring young priests for sex during the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

But he almost escaped justice when his first victim reported allegations and was given a police caution after interventions from establishment figures, the Old Bailey was told on Wednesday.

Prosecutor Bobbie Cheema said the prosecution has investigated the way in which the police and prosecutors dealt with the claims in 1993. He was not prosecuted for two of the three offences he has now admitted at the of the initial investigation.

The police report stated that they had received phone calls supportive of Ball "from many dozens of people - including MPs, former public school headmasters, JPs and even a Lord Chief Justice (Lloyd)".

"In addition it was reported that the defence claimed to have more than 2,000 letters of support... including letters from Cabinet ministers and the Royal family," said the prosecutor.

But she added: "I should make it clear that it is impossible to say whether those letters were encouraged and it is unlikely that those who wrote were in possession of the full facts."

At a meeting at the CPS headquarters on 26 February 1993 the then DPP was not present when it was agreed a caution was the best solution.

He was given permission to officiate as priest for six months in the Diocese of Truro in 1995, which was extended for three years by Archbishop Carey from September 1995.

"It may be that the Archbishop did not know the full facts of the allegations - or that in reality they were true - when he gave that permission," said Ms Cheema.

Ball admitted two counts of indecent assault and misconduct in public office between 1977 and 1992, while he was Bishop of Lewes.

The charges relate to 18 victims, aged between 17 and 25, who were abused by Ball when they went for him for religious instruction before he was appointed as Bishop of Gloucester in 1992.

Ball was ordained as a priest in 1957 and was consecrated as the Bishop of Lewes in 1977. Young men, aged between 17 and 21, would stay at his home, in Litlington, East Sussex as part of his "Give a year to Christ foundation".

"There was an austere regime of devotion to the community with rituals," said the prosecutor. A number of those rituals were used by Peter Ball to perpetrate his crimes."

The first complaint against Ball emerged in 1992, when a young man who was training to become a monk claimed he had engaged in sexual behaviour with the Bishop.

The court heard Ball had taken the victim to the chapel at midnight, where he told them they should both say the psalms naked in order that he should feel the cold.

He also suggested the teenager should be beaten whilst naked with a stick or a whip and that his body should "bear the marks".

Ball was arrested after other young men came forward, but he denied anything physical had taken place.

Ball carried out duties as a priest until suffering a stroke in 2008 while trying to overturn his resignation, asking the DPP in 1995 of it was possible to overturn what he called the "plea bargain" in light of what he said was the 'malice of his accusers'.

The Church of England commissioned a review of Ball's case in 2008 and in May 2012 Lambeth Palace referred papers to Sussex Police.

By the time he was charged in 2013 there were 14 new complainants as well as those who had been considered by police in 1992 and 1993.

Cambridge-educated Ball, who now lives in Langport, Somerset, was Bishop of Lewes between 1977 and 1992 and Bishop of Gloucester from 1992 until his resignation the following year.

Ball admitted indecently assaulting a man between December 31, 1980 and January 1, 1983, and indecently assaulting another victim between October 7, 1990 and November 1, 1991.

He also confessed to misconduct in public office by "misusing his position and authority to manipulate and prevail on others for sexual gratification" relating to 16 young men.

Ball pleaded not guilty to indecent assaults against two teenage boys, one aged 12 or 13, and a 15-year-old youth and the charges were left to lie on file, although the prosecution do not accept he is innocent of the crimes.

Detective Chief Inspector Carwyn Hughes of Sussex Police said 12 of the victims had come forward since the fresh investigation was launched.

He said: "It became clear that under the guise of his status as a Bishop, Ball had systematically abused the trust of the victims, many of whom who were aspiring priests, whilst others were simply seeking to explore their spirituality.

"He abused that trust and used religion, through his Give A Year For Christ scheme, as a cloak behind which to carry out his grooming activity, the principal aim of which was to satisfy his sexual interest in and desire for young men."