Abbey apologises after review into shocking abuse

Caldey Abbey in Wales has apologised for historical child sex abuse perpetrated by a monk between the Nineteen Sixties and Nineteen Nineties. 

The review, led by social employee Jan Pickles, detailed horrific abuse by Fr Thaddeus Kotik across many years on the Cistercian abbey and the encompassing island, which lies off the Pembrokeshire coast.

It describes how Fr Thaddeus used gifts and “special attention” to “groom” children and their parents into trusting him.

Fr Thaddeus would “exploit his status as a monk” by offering families babysitting or guided tours, and use a pet tortoise and “other attractive treats” to lure children to secluded to spots across the abbey or island where they were then abused.

Even when there have been suspicions around his behaviour, leaders did not act or remove him from the island. 

“It appears that these behaviours were ‘common knowledge’ inside the island communities and tolerated,” the report said. 

Fr Thaddeus died in 1992 without ever being held accountable or dropped at justice for his actions. 

“There appears to have been a failure of leadership at the very best level inside the Order and Abbey. Serious matters of repeated and frequent allegations of kid sexual abuse by [Fr Thaddeus] weren’t reported to the statutory authorities because the law of that point required,” the report said. 

Victim testimonies suggested that Fr Thaddeus was a “serial and prolific abuser of youngsters, often in ‘plain sight’ of others”. 

“[Fr Thaddeus’] interest in children was not hidden from view, and it appears to have been tolerated by adults on the Island,” it stated. 

The review found that victims were often not believed and in a single instance, a baby who reported the abuse to their priest was told “he would suffer terrible punishment and be sent to Hell” if he shared what had happened with anyone else. 

The review concluded that the abbey had “weak oversight and governance arrangements regarding safeguarding on the Island”, and had did not properly investigate complaints, even becoming “adversarial” towards victims. 

“The allegations were never reported to the statutory agencies liable for protecting children. The Reviewer believes that these were missed opportunities,” it added. 

The report beneficial the introduction of stringent safeguarding policies and procedures, including “a transparent ‘No Touch’ policy” and a ban on all pastoral counselling and informal contact between monks and visitors to the island. 

Abbot Fr Jan Rossey, who commissioned the review, apologised for the abbey’s failure to guard children, and expressed “deep sorrow and regret” for the suffering experienced by Fr Thaddeus’ victims. 

“It is especially heartbreaking to listen to children spoke as much as adults and no motion was taken. Children and their families were failed once they must have been supported and listened to,” he said.