PAEDO PRIEST PROBE Ex-Catholic Monk who ‘fled’ after child abuse claims charged after returning to UK

By Brittany Vonow
Sun
August 22, 2016

https://goo.gl/rVlf7n

Former Catholic monk Laurence Soper disappeared for five years after being at the centre of child abuse allegations

The former monk is believed to have been living in Kosovo’s Pec for several years

Soper is expected to face the Ealing Magistrates Court on Monday August 22

A FORMER monk who had been at the centre of a five year manhunt has returned to the UK and charged over nine historic child abuse allegations.

Laurence Soper, now 72, had been on the run since 2011 after skipping bail while on accusations of child sex abuse.

He had been arrested after a man in his 20s came forward to police in 2010, alleging that Soper had been involved in sexual assaults at St Benedict’s School in Ealing.

But the monk, who had been the abbot of Ealing Abbey in west London from 1991 to 2000, skipped bail in March 2011, managing to avoid authorities for five years.

Soper has now been charged with nine offences that allegedly targeted five victims, including an act of gross indecency towards a boy of 14-years-old and indecent assault of a boy under the age of 16.

Police issued a European Arrest Warrant for Soper in 2012, with it suspected that the former monk was living in Italy.

But it was only until May this year that authorities caught up with Soper, with the former monastic leader arrested in Kosovo in May this year.

He had reportedly been living in Pec for several years.

Scotland Yard last night confirmed that Soper had been flown back to the UK from Europe.

He was immediately arrested on suspicion of nine sexual assaults between 1972 and 1986 and later arrested.

A force spokesman said: “Soper was arrested by officers as he arrived back in the UK at Luton Airport from Kosovo on Sunday 21 August.

“He was taken into custody at a west London police station, where he was later charged.”

He is expected to appear at Ealing Magistrates’ Court today, Monday August 22.