Dyfed-Powys Police confirm Caldey Island sex abuse reports

LONDON (ENGLAND)
BBC

November 18, 2017

Dyfed-Powys Police has told BBC Wales it received reports of historical sexual abuse perpetrated by a monk on Caldey Island in the 1970s and 1980s.

The force investigated in 2014 and 2016 but could not prosecute as the monk, Father Thaddeus Kotik, died in 1992.

The Guardian newspaper has reported that Caldey Abbey has paid compensation to six women who were abused as children.

BBC Wales has attempted to contact Caldey Abbey in Pembrokeshire.

Court papers seen by The Guardian said Kotik carried out the abuse between 1972 and 1987 and the women, who were on holiday at the time, believe there may be many more victims.
Kotik worked in the abbey’s dairy and befriended families who regularly visited the island.

After gaining the trust of parents he would babysit the children and sexually abuse them, the papers suggest.

The women, who are not identified, said the abbey knew about the offences and failed to report Kotik to the police.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.