Andy Drozdziak
The Cistercian Abbey on Caldey Island has announced that an independent review into historical allegations of child abuse will be undertaken.
The independent review will be undertaken by Jan Pickles, a former assistant police and crime commissioner at South Wales Police.
The news comes as Kevin O’Connell from the Caldey Island survivors campaign this week shared a story of abuse with the Daily Mail. Mr O’Connell shared how he and his sister suffered sexual and physical abuse at the hands of Father Thaddeus Kotik and other monks when visiting the island as a child in the 1970s.
Mr O’Connell, who has been calling for a public inquiry since 2019, told the Universe that, although the review has ‘no legal standing’, it may help towards a public inquiry. He added that, since his story broke this week, more victims have come forward with their own accounts.
The independent review comes after the appointment of Father Jan Rossey as its new Superior. Father Rossey vowed to take the allegations ‘very seriously.’
“In common with many other organisations, Caldey Abbey has, in the past, received disclosures and allegations involving members of the monastic community about their behaviour towards children”, he said.
“We take these allegations very seriously and, in order to uphold our commitment to safeguarding, we have commissioned a leading Independent Safeguarding Consultant, Jan Pickles OBE, to conduct a thorough review.”
Father Rossey shared his hopes that the review would help create a safe environment’ by ‘learning from the past.’
“This review is about taking responsibility, learning from the past, and building a safe environment for everyone,” he said. Maria Battle, the former deputy children’s commissioner for Wales, has been appointed as the abbey’s new safeguarding lead.
Father Rossey said: “Maria is reviewing our safeguarding policies, practice and training to ensure all visitors to Caldey are safe.”
“As we prepare to welcome visitors back to Caldey Island, we remain dedicated to providing a secure environment with effective procedures for safeguarding all who visit, live on, or work on the island.”
Maria Battle is encouraging people to come forward, as Father Jan wants to ‘hear from anyone affected.’
Father Thaddeus Kotik died in 1992.
Mr O’Connell told the Universe that victims who come forward are directed to Operation Hydrant, which was set up in 2014 ‘to deliver the national policing response, oversight, and coordination of non-recent child sexual abuse investigations concerning persons of public prominence, or in relation to those offences which took place within institutional settings.’
Mr O’Connell added that he did not ‘trust…Dyfed-Powys Police,’ the police force which oversees Caldey Island. He said that he hopes the review will result in ‘every child and vulnerable adults’ being ‘safe to go visit and stay on Caldey Island.’
“With an inquiry the victims will finally get a voice.”