SCOTLAND
BBC
December 21, 2017
By Mark Daly
Fears are growing that an Australian former monk accused of sexually abusing children at a Catholic boarding school in Scotland may never face trial.
Father Denis “Chrysostom” Alexander is in custody in Sydney and is contesting moves to extradite him back to Scotland, on the grounds of ill health.
The 81-year-old was among several monks accused in a BBC Scotland documentary in 2013 of sexual and physical abuse at the Fort Augustus Abbey school.
Fr Alexander denies the allegations.
Strong criticism
Meanwhile, the Crown Office, Scotland’s criminal prosecution service, confirmed it was dropping five further Fort Augustus abuse cases which had lain “under consideration” for two and a half years.
It said the “passage of time presented particular challenges” in the investigations, especially around important witnesses who were either dead or not able to take part.
It said extradition proceedings with Australian authorities were under way in the case of Fr Alexander.
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