Archbishop Mark O’Toole expressed his regret on behalf of the Catholic Church following the publication of The Caldey Abbey Review into allegations of non-recent childhood sexual abuse within the monastic community of Caldey Abbey, Pembrokeshire.
The archbishop said: “This report is heart-breaking but that heartbreak is nothing compared to the pain, suffering and trauma experienced by the victims/survivors.
“To you, I say how profoundly sorry I am for the abuse you suffered, especially that this happened within the Church and that the Church failed you in its response over so many years.
“I hope that having this opportunity to share your story, and to have it recorded, even after all this time, helps you personally, and especially to know that your anguished cries are finally being heard.
Archbishop O’Toole added: “You are very much in my thoughts and prayers and I know you will be in the prayers of the Catholic Community, too.”
The Archdiocese of Cardiff-Menevia assumed Safeguarding responsibilities for the Diocese of Menevia only from October when the Archdiocese of Cardiff was merged with the Diocese of Menevia by Pope Francis.
The report, authored by Jan Pickles, an independent safeguarding consultant, examined how Fr Thaddeus Kotik, a Trappist monk at Caldey, abused children over decades. It documents the accounts of 16 of his victims.
Fr Kotik arrived on Caldey Island in September 1947 and lived there until his death in 1992. The report states that he was allowed to carry out abuse, often in “plain sight” of others.
Allegations of abuse were first reported to the then Abbot, Fr Robert O’Brien, in 1987. A witness to the abuse wrote: “This can’t go on. This has to be reported, and if you don’t do something about it, I will report it to the authorities.” However, no action was taken.
When further allegations of abuse were made in 1990 by a victim’s headteacher, Abbot O’Brien responded by saying that he had spoken with another victim and assured her that Fr Kotik “hadn’t meant to hurt” her.
The abbot asked the headteacher not to report the matter to the police, citing Fr Kotik’s age, health, and the impact it would have on him.
The Bishop of Menevia was also informed, but neither the abbot, the bishop, nor the headteacher reported the matter to the police.
One victim, who was raped by another priest, recounted how he was told, after complaining, that “if you say anything against the Church, God will turn his back on you, and the Devil will hide in a mirror and come for you, and a severed hand will throttle you in your sleep”.
The report also reveals that Paul Ashton, a convicted sex offender wanted by multiple UK police forces for child-related sexual offences, had lived on Caldey Island within the Abbey community from 2004 to 2011.
He was using an assumed name, and it appears the community was unaware of his crimes. Similarly, Fr John Shannon, accepted on the island in 2008 to serve St David’s Church, was later found to have been convicted of possessing extreme sexual images of children. He was laicised in 2011 after his crimes were uncovered.
The report makes 12 key recommendations to improve safeguarding on the island.
These include eliminating informal contact between the monks and visitors, stating: “Should a member of the public seek pastoral or religious advice or require support, they should be referred to their parish priest.”
It also recommends improving residential management. Tenancy arrangements are to be formalised, requiring original identification, references, and interviews. Similar steps are to be implemented for visiting priests to ensure thorough safeguarding checks. These measures aim to prevent the island from harbouring individuals who may pose a risk to children.
The independent review was commissioned by the community, and its findings are available on the Abbey’s website.
Responding to the review, Fr Jan Rossey, Abbot of Caldey Abbey, said: “It is with deep sorrow and regret that I have read in the review of the great suffering of children who were abused by Fr Thaddeus Kotik and the closed culture of secrecy and cover-up which kept this hidden.
“It is clear opportunities were missed to stop the abuse of children. It is particularly heart-breaking to hear children spoke up to adults and no action was taken.
“Children and their families were failed when they should have been supported and listened to. The abuses should have been reported to the statutory authorities.
“On behalf of the monastic community, I sincerely apologise to all those who have been hurt and have suffered because of the abuse of Thaddeus Kotik and past failures in not protecting children and their families.
“It is particularly odious when abuse is committed and hidden by people who are in positions of trust because of their monastic or priestly vocation.”
He continued: “Since becoming the new Abbot on Caldey Island in 2023 I have been determined to create a culture of openness and transparency.
“I want to take ownership and responsibility for past failings. I want to ensure we learn lessons from the mistakes in the past and create a safer environment for everyone.
“It is for these reasons that I commissioned an independent review into historical claims of child abuse on the island. The first step to healing is listening. It is important that those who may have been harmed in any way have a voice and are heard.
“Since becoming Abbot, I have ensured that many safeguarding improvements have been put in place. These are detailed in the review. I have also reached out through Jan Pickles OBE to everyone who gave evidence offering to meet with them in person to apologise, to offer support and to thank them for their courage.
“I thank everyone who bravely came forward to give evidence of their experience to the Review and I promise that I will do my utmost to prevent abuse from ever happening again on Caldey Island.”