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Fugitive Catholic monk is flown back to Britain after a five-year manhunt and charged with abusing five boys as young as 14

By Martin Robinson
Daily Mail
August 22, 2016

http://goo.gl/eRhKCB

In the dock: Father Laurence Soper is accused of abusing five boys as young as 14 between 1972 to 1986

Laurence Soper went into hiding after teaching at St Benedict's and then abbot of Ealing Abbey, pictured

In hiding: According to Kosovan news outlet Insajderi, Soper lived in Pec for years under the name Andrew

A Catholic monk has been returned to Britain from Kosovo following a five-year police manhunt and charged with a string of historical sex offences.

Father Laurence Soper is accused of abusing five boys as young as 14 between 1972 to 1986.

The nine charges include offences of buggery, gross indecency and indecent assault.

The 72-year-old was arrested as he arrived at Luton Airport on Sunday by officers from Scotland Yard's Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command.

Soper, who was detained under a European Arrest Warrant in Kosovo in May, will appear at Ealing Magistrates' Court today.

Four of the charges, including buggery, gross indecency and indecent assault, relate to a single alleged victim and date from February 17, 1972 to February 18, 1976.

The boy was aged under 14 when Soper carried out an act of gross indecency against him, it is alleged.

Two charges of indecent assault relate to a second boy aged under 16 alleged to have occurred between 22 August 1979 and 23 August 1984.

Soper faces charges of indecent assault against two further boys under 16, alleged to have taken place between 4 December 1979 and 23 December 1984, and 10 November 1979 and 11 November 1984.

A fifth boy aged under 16 was assaulted on a day between 14 May 1982 and 15 May 1986, it is alleged.

A Met spokesman said: 'Soper was arrested by officers as he arrived back in the UK at Luton Airport from Kosovo.

'He is currently in custody at a west London police station.'

According to Kosovan news outlet Insajderi, Soper lived in Pec for years under the name Andrew.

'He lived in a house of a friend of mine. I have spoken and met with him several times. He said he was writing a book,' a resident told the outlet.

Having worked for nearly 30 years at St Benedict's, a £12,000-a-year private school attached to the Abbey, now-expelled monk Soper quit Britain in 2001 for Rome to become treasurer at the Benedictine Order's headquarters at St Anselmo. 

After teaching at St Benedict's, Soper became abbot of Ealing Abbey. 




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