Priest sent to jail for rape: CEN 10.23.09 p 2. November 4, 2009
Posted by geoconger in Abuse, Church of England, Church of England Newspaper.trackback
A West Yorkshire vicar has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for having raped two boys.
The Rev. Peter Hedge was convicted on Oct 16 of two counts of rape and of having committed 30 indecent assaults after trial at the Bradford Crown Court. The abuse took place over seven years while he was curate at St Margaret’s Church in Thornbury and as vicar of Holy Trinity, Queensbury in the Diocese of Bradford.
Upon passing sentence, Judge Peter Benson told Mr. Hedge he was a “dreadful disgrace” and had abused his office as a priest of the Church of England. “As a result of your conduct, which really defies description in its wickedness, you not only robbed these young men of their childhood, you scarred their young lives.”
The court heard testimony that Mr. Hedge had given cash to young boys to enable them to purchase cannabis, later molesting them.
The diocese suspended Mr. Hedge in 2007 after the allegations were made public. The Bishop of Bradford, the Rt. Rev. David James, the Bishop of Bradford, said the “clergy of the Church of England are expected to uphold the highest moral standards; by committing these very serious crimes Peter Hedge has betrayed the trust put in him by the people of Thornbury and Queensbury.
‘”My thoughts and prayers are with the victims who have been deeply damaged by someone who should have been nurturing them and keeping them safe. And I thank them for their courage in coming forward to give evidence,” Bishop James said.
“The Diocese of Bradford now has stringent policies in place. We have adopted codes of good practice which help prevent abuse and these are regularly reviewed,” the bishop said.
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