Bermingham Mail. Net (berminghammail.net)

10 Nov 2009

A former Roman Catholic priest who was extradited from America to face sexual abuse allegations today denied the charges against him.

James Robinson, 72, is alleged to have committed a string of offences against young boys between 1959 and 1983 in the West Midlands and Wales. He faces a total of 22 charges, including 12 counts of indecent assault and three of gross indecency.

The former clergyman, whose full name is Richard John James Robinson, is known to have worked in the Birmingham and Coventry areas up until the mid-1980s, when he moved to California.

He was extradited from the West Coast state in August this year.

Robinson spoke only to confirm his name and enter his pleas during a brief hearing at Birmingham Crown Court.

SundayMercury.net

16 Aug 2009

by Christina Savvas, Sunday Mercury

A ROMAN Catholic priest extradited from America on child sex charges could face fresh abuse claims after a new alleged victim contacted detectives.

Father James Robinson, 71, was flown back to Britain from Los Angeles last week at the request of West Midlands Police.

The clergyman is alleged to have abused young boys in Walsall, Birmingham, Coventry and Wales between 1959 and 1983.

Birmingham Magistrates remanded Fr Robinson in custody on Saturday morning. He will appear again at the city’s crown court for a preliminary hearing on November 3.

The former priest faces a total of 22 charges, including 12 of indecent assault and three of gross indecency.

The Sunday Mercury has been contacted by a new alleged victim who is flying to Birmingham from Ireland next week to give West Midlands detectives a statement.

He claims he was abused in the early 1960s when he was 11 years-old and living in Walsall.

Now a stepfather-of-three, he moved to Ireland around 20 years ago. He said: “I’ve been asked to provide a statement to police and will be making the trip to Birmingham next week.”

Fr Robinson had been living in Los Angeles since moving there from the Midlands in the mid-1980s. He was successfully extradited from the US last Thursday and landed at Heathrow Airport a day later.

The clergyman and former boxer, whose full name is Richard John James Robinson, had worked in the Birmingham and Coventry areas of the West Midlands.

He trained at Oscott College, Sutton Coldfield, and went on to become parish priest at St Elizabeth’s in Foleshill, Coventry, and Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Cradley Heath.

The Sunday Mercury has run a series of articles on Fr Robinson.

In 2004, we revealed how the Birmingham Archdiocese continued to pay the priest for nine years after he moved to America.

The Archdiocese claimed the money was for ‘medical treatment’ and stressed that the payments had stopped in 2002.

We also told in 2004 how California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had been asked to help extradite Fr Robinson back to Britain because of the child abuse investigation.

A US magistrate finally authorised the extradition in June, after a change in law made the legal process easier.

A spokesman for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham said it was cooperating fully with police and other agencies.

BBC News

25 February 2009

Police have agreed to re-examine allegations of child abuse made against a former Roman Catholic priest.

West Midlands Police is reviewing the case after admitting it failed to investigate when a complaint was made about Father James Robinson in 2003.

Father Robinson, who denies the claims, worked in Sutton Coldfield, Cradley Heath and Newcastle-under-Lyme, but moved to California in 1985.

The Crown Prosecution Service is considering an extradition request.

The Roman Catholic church has paid thousands of pounds in out-of-court settlements to people who claim that Father Robinson abused them.

Claims denied

A complaint was made about him to West Midlands Police in 2003, but no investigation was carried out the force admitted following an internal inquiry.

The complaint came after Father Robinson was tracked down by the BBC's Kenyon Confronts programme.

He was brought face-to-face with a man who claimed he had been abused by him.

The complainant also alleged that West Midlands Police had failed to extradite Father Robinson.

This was rejected by the force as no treaty which allowed extradition from California existed at the time.

A new treaty allowing this was ratified in 2006.

The Archdiocese of Birmingham said in a statement that Archbishop Vincent Nichols had written to Father Robinson, urging him to return to the UK and answer the allegations, but the former priest had refused.

Bermingham Mail. Net (berminghammail.net)

18 February 2008

WEST Midlands Police today admitted failing to investigate the Catholic church properly over child abuse allegations against a priest in the 1970s and 80s.

They said crucial documentation had been lost.

It follows a 20-year campaign for justice by an alleged victim of Fr James Robinson.

The man, who now lives in Scotland, said West Midlands Police failed to investigate the abuse properly when it happened, and should have extradited the former priest to face charges following his move to California.

A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said: "We can confirm that the man has now received our findings.

"His complaint that West Midlands Police failed to investigate the Catholic Church has been substantiated.

"Although there was evidence of an investigation, a lack of substantiated documentation as a result of the historic nature of the case meant that we were unable to assess the thoroughness of any investigation."

Robinson was accused of repeatedly abusing young boys in the 1970s and 80s.

He was moved by the church to a parish in California as the abuse accusations raged in 1985, and was defrocked eight years later.

He has denied any wrongdoing, and says he has no intention of returning to Britain.

Despite the former priest being tracked down and confronted by one of his alleged victims in 2003, West Midlands Police said they were prevented from extraditing him by California state law.

A spokeswoman said: "At the time of the allegations made by the man against Father Robinson, a treaty was not in place to enable extradition from California. "

During 2006 a new treaty was ratified which means that extradition is possible. Any request for extradition is the subject of judicial procedures

West Midlands Police will review the original investigation and consider the appropriate course of action."

The alleged victim, now married and in his 40s, maintains it is possible to arrest Robinson, and has contacted California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.