Report claims priest confessed to assaulting boy before becoming bishop

A leaked document suggests that a former bishop of the Church in Wales admitted to sexually abusing a teenage boy while serving as a parish priest. Anthony Pierce, who was imprisoned earlier this year for historic sexual offenses against another boy, reportedly confessed to the author of the report about what is described as a criminal offence.

The report, prepared months before Pierce became Bishop of Swansea and Brecon in 1999, was held by the church for 11 years before being handed to police. Pierce had reportedly requested a "friend" to compile the document, which was never commissioned by the Church in Wales. The church stated the report will contribute to an ongoing review of how the allegations were managed.

Pierce, who served as bishop for nine years before resigning in 2008, is now 84. The 25-page handwritten report claims the abuse occurred in 1990, and Pierce expressed feelings of intense guilt and the awareness that he was an adult while the victim was a child. The document notes his fear of public exposure and the potential loss of his ministry.

The alleged victim, referred to in the report as Dean to protect his identity, has since passed away. Dean attended Pierces former church near Swansea. According to the report, Pierce, in his late 40s at the time, was naive and had no defence against 15-year-old Dean, who is described as mercurial and very attractive.

Legal representatives for Deans mother have criticized the document, calling it a "character assassination" intended to protect Pierce. Deans mother had previously reported the abuse to the church twice, first in 1993 to then-Bishop Dewi Bridges and again in January 1999, shortly before Pierce succeeded Bridges.

The case was not reported to police until 2010, two years after Pierce stepped down as bishop. The Church in Wales later submitted the handwritten report and other documents to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in 2016, by which time Dean had already died.

The leaked report focuses heavily on Dean's childhood and sexuality and contains derogatory comments. It was reportedly prepared for a senior cleric, though it is unclear who viewed it or what actions were taken. A church employee, in correspondence seen by the BBC, stated that the document should never have been written and should not have influenced any decision-making.

The report describes Pierce as confused and mesmerised and claims he had no defence against such a bold attack, adding that it does not condone his actions but attempts to explain the circumstances. It also notes Pierces creation of an invisible barrier that Dean allegedly breached.

The Church in Wales has confirmed the report is a key element of their review into the handling of abuse allegations, which will examine current procedures for appointing bishops and archdeacons. Pierce declined to comment when contacted by the BBC. Earlier this year, he was sentenced to four years and one month in prison for five counts of indecent assault on another child between 1985 and 1990.

A Church in Wales spokesperson said the letter was written by a friend of Anthony Pierce and was not commissioned by the church, emphasizing its role in the ongoing review and the context it provides.

Author: Zoe Harrison