An inquiry by the commission reported that in February 2018 a registered sex offender had stayed overnight in the abbey.
A “serious failing” by the Ampleforth Abbey Trust in regard to a second safeguarding incident concerning the conduct of a monk living at the abbey had exposed Ampleforth pupils to “risk” for more than nine months.
According to the inquiry, “the acting superior at that time failed to recognise safeguarding concerns raised to him by individuals on at least four occasions and therefore did not refer concerns on to the safeguarding co-ordinator as required”.
In February and March 2017, the Charity Commission visited the Benedictine foundation in North Yorkshire to investigate the safeguarding approach taken by the Ampleforth Abbey Trust and Ampleforth College, which is run by the St Laurence Educational Trust.
Prompted by abuse allegations arising between 2014 and 2016, the inquiry did not examine historical allegations of abuse of Ampleforth pupils by monks and staff – described by a separate investigation as “appalling” and inflicted over decades on children as young as seven.
Informed of nine serious abuse allegations and or convictions, both historic and recent, between 2015 and 2016 AAT trustees “had failed to ensure that these matters were reported to the Commission at the relevant times as serious incidents.”
In 2018, the inquiry appointed an interim manager to work alongside AAT and SLET trustees. Her remit was to “review the sufficiency of both charities safeguarding practices” and “implement … measures necessary to address identified shortcomings”.
She found communication between the Ampleforth Abbey Trust and the St Laurence Educational Trust “was ineffective.”
Shortly before the interim manager’s appointment, police in North Yorkshire “became aware” that a registered sex offender had stayed overnight in abbey accommodation as part of the 'Wayfarer' scheme where following ancient tradition, the abbey offered hospitality to outside visitors, including overnight accommodation.
"No harm” was recorded from the incident, and there was no “reported contact” with pupils. “The inquiry found that the trustees of AAT in place at that time were not taking adequate steps to manage the safeguarding risks arising from wayfarers visiting the abbey.” The Wayfarer scheme was terminated in 2018.
In a separate report on the St Laurence Educational Trust, the commission identified “areas of weakness” in Ampleforth College’s implementation of safeguarding policies.
The inquiry report, published on 12 July, says: “Some of the changes promoted by the IM were not being embraced and followed by the then leaders of the college, who continued to mis-manage safeguarding incidents.”
Senior staff had “failed to follow their training and made judgements… contrary to the school safeguarding policy and procedures”.
These failures “led to a change in leadership of the college.” noted the inquiry.
In 2019, Robin Dyer was appointed headmaster of Ampleforth. Last year, Peter Roberts replaced Dyer.
In September 2023, the college, which had been barred in 2020 by the Department for Education from taking new pupils, was rated “good” by Ofsted.
The inquiry concludes that SLET now “has the foundations in place to ensure safeguarding is carried out effectively”. It acknowledges the recent positive audit conducted at AAT by the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency in August last year.
In a statement, the St Laurence Educational Trust expressed gratitude “for the support that the Commission has given in helping us identify and address failings in the safeguarding regime for Ampleforth College”.
It added: “We share the Commission’s objective that our beneficiaries should be safe at all times. We have worked very hard to put a regime and culture in place that delivers outstanding safeguarding and pastoral care and will continue to do so.”
In a separate statement, the Ampleforth Abbey Trust said the abbot apologised to anyone who had suffered abuse, adding added that during the inquiry, trustees had “worked hard, with the help and guidance of many professionals to learn from past mistakes and to ensure that a positive and professional safeguarding culture is embedded in all of the abbey’s works”.