Dear All
Recently I have been following the Roman Polanski case which involves child rape and flight from prosecution.
Polanski by his position in society I would say had a duty not to betray public trust and act in a responsible manner.
A West Yorkshire vicar has been found guilty and jailed for 14 years of raping two young boys and sexually attacking others.
This is another case of child rape by a person who had a special and trusted position in society.
The Reverend Peter Hedge, 47, from Holy Trinity Church at Queensbury, near Bradford, had pled innocent to the charges against him which happened between the 1990s and 2000.
The jury however took a different view at Bradford Crown Court in regard to more than 30 indecent assaults as well as the rapes.
Although Hedge has been jailed for 14 years; I feel that given the nature and volume of the charges, 30 years in prison wouldn’t go a miss.
The court heard Hedge abused his position of trust and then paid victims to keep silent while he preyed on others.
The judge described his actions as "calculated and systematic abuse".
He added;
"He corrupted three of the boys with cannabis, his wickedness defied description."
As well as the prison sentence Hedge is subject to a sexual offences protection order and also put on the sex offenders register for life.
The Bishop of Bradford, the Right Reverend David James in response to these events issued a statement;
"Clergy in the Church of England are expected to uphold the highest moral standards”.
Personally, I think the Bishop of Bradford should be writing guidelines so that people who interact with the Church and its personnel have clear and transparent processes to report such people before they are allowed to build up a series of systemic abuse in future.
Sorry really doesn’t cut it.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
Recently I have been following the Roman Polanski case which involves child rape and flight from prosecution.
Polanski by his position in society I would say had a duty not to betray public trust and act in a responsible manner.
A West Yorkshire vicar has been found guilty and jailed for 14 years of raping two young boys and sexually attacking others.
This is another case of child rape by a person who had a special and trusted position in society.
The Reverend Peter Hedge, 47, from Holy Trinity Church at Queensbury, near Bradford, had pled innocent to the charges against him which happened between the 1990s and 2000.
The jury however took a different view at Bradford Crown Court in regard to more than 30 indecent assaults as well as the rapes.
Although Hedge has been jailed for 14 years; I feel that given the nature and volume of the charges, 30 years in prison wouldn’t go a miss.
The court heard Hedge abused his position of trust and then paid victims to keep silent while he preyed on others.
The judge described his actions as "calculated and systematic abuse".
He added;
"He corrupted three of the boys with cannabis, his wickedness defied description."
As well as the prison sentence Hedge is subject to a sexual offences protection order and also put on the sex offenders register for life.
The Bishop of Bradford, the Right Reverend David James in response to these events issued a statement;
"Clergy in the Church of England are expected to uphold the highest moral standards”.
Personally, I think the Bishop of Bradford should be writing guidelines so that people who interact with the Church and its personnel have clear and transparent processes to report such people before they are allowed to build up a series of systemic abuse in future.
Sorry really doesn’t cut it.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
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