SWANSEA (UNITED KINGDOM)
Premier Christian News [Crowborough, England]
July 12, 2025
By Lydia Davies
A former bishop in the Church in Wales is facing fresh allegations of historic sexual abuse, as a BBC investigation uncovers new claims against Anthony Pierce and another former clergyman.
Pierce, once Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, is currently serving four years in prison for indecent assaults on a child during his time as a parish priest in the 1980s.
His lawyer says he “deeply regrets” the crimes, while the Church in Wales has admitted it feels “the most profound shame at the dreadful offences”.
Several men have now reportidly told the BBC that Pierce behaved inappropriately towards them, too.
A woman also claims she was assaulted by David Gedge, the late choirmaster at Brecon Cathedral, and says no action was taken when she reported it, while Pierce was bishop at the time.
Police are now investigating these new allegations, and the Church in Wales has confirmed it is reviewing how such cases were handled.
A former priest has called on the Welsh Assembly to launch an independent inquiry into the church’s safeguarding failures.
Article by Lydia Davies