Monday, August 23, 2010

Abuse claims at top Catholic school

Police said Wednesday they were investigating allegations of child abuse made by two former pupils at one of Britain's most prestigious Roman Catholic schools.

London's Metropolitan Police said two men in their forties had made allegations against teachers and staff at St Benedict's School in Ealing, west London, which is attached to a Benedictine monastery.

Chris Patten, the former governor of Hong Kong who is the government's co-ordinator for the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Britain next month, is a former pupil of the school.

One of the men made allegations against an 80-year-old man, who is being investigated but has not been arrested.

Police said two men, aged 68 and 71, had been arrested in connection with allegations made by the second former pupil. They have been released on police bail while the investigation continues.

The two former pupils contacted police in June 2010 following articles in The Times newspaper relating to other abuse cases.

One of the men named in the new allegations is Father David Pearce, a 68-year-old monk and former teacher, who is serving a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to abusing eight pupils between 1972 and 2008, The Times reported on Wednesday.

The Roman Catholic Church has been rocked by allegations of child abuse by priests which have spread across Europe from Ireland to the United States and South America.

SIC: AFP