Child sex allegations against retired former Bishop of Lewes (From The Argus)
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Child sex allegations against retired former Bishop of Lewes
12:03pm Tuesday 13th November 2012 in News
A retired Church of England bishop is one of two clergymen arrested by police investigating historic allegations of child sex abuse in East Sussex this morning (November 13).
Former Bishop of Lewes Peter Ball, 80, is being held at his Somerset home on suspicion of eight sex offences against eight boys and young men aged between 12 and their early 20s.
The abuse is alleged to have taken place in East Sussex and elsewhere in the late 1980s and 1990s.
An unnamed 67-year-old retired priest, has also been detained at his home near Haywards Heath, West Sussex, on suspicion of separate sex offences against two teenage boys in East Sussex between 1981 and 1983.
The arrests follow a review and subsequent inquiry over the past six months by a team of Sussex Police detectives.
Officers described it as a "very complex inquiry" during which many people, who are all now adults, have had to be traced along with witnesses and records.
A special helpline is for anyone who feels they need support or advice has been set up - 0800 389 5344.
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Comments(4)
florestan
says...
1:07pm Tue 13 Nov 12
MarkBrighton
says...
1:22pm Tue 13 Nov 12
florestan wrote:Are you suggesting that sexual abuse crimes should just be forgotten about ?!?
All police resources should be allocated to these historic abuse cases. Don't stop at the 20th century, go back to the 19th if necessary! All wrongs must be righted. Put all current murder enquiries on the back burner.
Do you realise that due to the nature of child sexual abuse it can take decades for victims to be able to confront the crimes inflicted on them?
It is the lackadaisical attitude such as yours that allows the abuse of children to continue. Anyone who has been abused, no matter how long ago, is the victim of a crime, and they deserve to have that crime investigated. Often the process of taking abusers to court is that final piece of of the puzzle that allows some kind of recovery to happen.
PorkBoat
says...
3:41pm Tue 13 Nov 12
Tailgaters Anonymous wrote:We'll probably never know. The mainstream media are going into overdrive to deflect accusations, muddy the waters and distract us, as well as drag any accusers name through the mud. Look in some of the dailies, and what they are saying about Steve Messham and Tom Watson. Disgusting. They'll toss a few dead'uns out for the masses, a couple of low rankers (like this guy) and a couple of 70's celebrities, keep the focus off those higher up the ladder, congratulate themselves on a job well done, and the people will go back to watching X-Factor and Im a Celeb. Am I the only one who can see what's happening?
Sad day for those who are 'men of the cloth' and their alleged victims!
Do wonder what other disclosures will follow these & Savile-related matters and what else the Establishment has kept hidden over the years!
Tailgaters Anonymous says...
12:08pm Tue 13 Nov 12
Do wonder what other disclosures will follow these & Savile-related matters and what else the Establishment has kept hidden over the years!