Jumped bail: Father Laurence Soper
London Evening Standard
14 October 2011
Justin Davenport, Crime Editor
Police and prosecutors are preparing an international arrest warrant for a Roman Catholic monk who has jumped bail on child abuse charges.
Father Laurence Soper, 80, a former abbot of Ealing Abbey, a Benedictine monastery, is wanted over allegations of child abuse dating back 20 years.
They relate to the time when he was a teacher at St Benedict’s, a private school attached to the abbey.
Father Soper was arrested by police in September last year but failed to answer bail in London in March. The cleric is believed to be in Rome where he has lived for the past 10 years but efforts by abbey officials to contact him have been in vain. A message on Ealing Abbey’s website from Abbot Martin Shipperlee condemned his predecessor’s failure to co-operate with police.
It said: “Early in March he left the monastery in Rome where he had been living to travel to London for an appointment with the police. Unfortunately he failed to keep that appointment and we have heard nothing from him since and all efforts to contact him have been without success.
“I must condemn without reservation his failure to co-operate with them.”
A number of alleged victims of Father Soper contacted police last year after another teacher at St Benedict’s was jailed for assaulting young boys.
Father David Pearce, a former head of the school, was jailed for five years for indecently assaulting five young boys between 1972 and 2007.
Two other former teachers, including Father Soper, faced similar allegations. The school announced a review to be carried out by Lord Carlile of Berriew, QC, who is expected to publish his findings this month. Father Soper taught at St Benedict’s from 1972 to 1984 and was abbot at Ealing until 2000.
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Police hunt priest over sex claims
google.com
14 October 2011
(UKPA) – 10 hours ago Police are hunting a Catholic cleric accused of historic sex offences in west London after he failed to return to a police station for questioning.
Father Laurence Soper is wanted over allegations of child abuse, reported to date back to when he taught at St Benedict’s School, a private independent Catholic school which is part of Ealing Abbey in west London.
Fr Soper, who was abbot of Ealing Abbey from 1991 to 2000, is believed to have been living in a monastery in Rome, but was due to return to London to answer bail in March.
He failed to show up and police are now looking for him, with possibilities of a European Arrest Warrant being issued if he is thought to be somewhere in Europe.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “An 80-year-old man was arrested on September 22 on suspicion of an historic sexual assault.
“He was bailed to a west London police station to March 2011. The man failed to appear and inquiries are being made to trace him.”
A message on Ealing Abbey’s website from Abbot Martin Shipperlee condemned his predecessor’s failure to co-operate with police. It said: “Dear Parishioners, many of you will have read news reports concerning my predecessor as abbot, Fr Laurence. Accusations have been made against him concerning offences against children.
“Early in March he left the monastery in Rome where he had been living to travel to London for an appointment with the police. Unfortunately he failed to keep that appointment and we have heard nothing from him since and all efforts to contact him have been without success.
“On previous occasions he had returned by arrangement to meet with the police and he was trusted to do so. I cannot comment on the details of the police investigation but I must condemn without reservation his failure to co-operate with them.
“I have not made any statement about this before at the request of the police. Please keep in your prayers all those who have been hurt by what Fr Laurence has done.”
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Senior Catholic monk on run after skipping bail in child sex probe
- Police are expected to fly out in hunt for missing cleric
- Abbey says ‘We have heard nothing from him. He has betrayed trust’
Daily Mail Online
Last updated at 2:37 PM on 14th October 2011
A Roman Catholic cleric who skipped bail before he could be charged with sex offences against children dating back 20 years may be in hiding in Italy.
Father Laurence Soper, a former abbot of Ealing Abbey, is wanted over allegations of child abuse which are said to have occurred when he was a teacher at St Benedict’s, the private school attached to the Abbey.
Former pupils came forward last year with allegations after another teacher at the school, Fr David Pearce was jailed in 2009 for child abuse offences stretching back 30 years.
Ealing Abbey: The abbey is attached to St. Benedict’s Ealing Catholic Church, a spokesman told The Times Fr Soper had betrayed police trust
There is no suggestion Pearce’s case is linked to Fr Soper’s.
The Times newspaper published information on a series of internal inquires into allegations of historic abuse at the school.
Ealing Abbey told the newspaper Fr Soper, who taught at the school from 1972 to 1984, had left Rome to attend a police interview in London.
Allegations: Feltham Young Offenders Institution where Fr Soper was chaplin
A spokesman for the Abbey told The Times: ‘We have heard nothing from him and all efforts to make contact have been without success.
‘He was trusted by the police in England to return as and when required. He has betrayed that trust.’
The Diocese of Westminster added it had lent every assistance to the police, although a spokesman pointed out that although Ealing Abbey is in the parish the archbishop does not have control over child protection issues.
Fr Soper is believed to have left the UK after allegations were made about his conduct at Feltham Young Offenders Institution where he was a visiting chaplin ten years ago.
The Times reports detectives are likely to travel to Italy to find the cleric and could seek extradition.
This is a little confusing. Soper is wanted for allegations which occurred while he was at teacher at St. Benedict’s, but the last article also says that he ” left the UK after allegations were made about his conduct at Feltham Young Offenders Institution where he was a visiting chaplin ten years ago.”
Perhaps he served as chaplain at the Young Offenders Institute while he was at St. Benedict’s? is that it?
No matter, this 80-year-old is on the lam. His age is obviously no deterrent to his attempt to elude justice.