Horrific case in which paedophile became a Bishop ‘proves need for independent safeguarding in faith settings’

Martin Shipton

The Children’s Commissioner for Wales has called for the introduction of independent oversight of safeguarding in faith settings following the shocking case in which a paedophile priest was made a Bishop despite earlier concerns about his behaviour.

This week the Church in Wales published a review into the case of Anthony Pierce, the former Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, who was jailed for four years in February 2025 after pleading guilty to five charges of indecent assault in the 1980s on a boy under the age of 16.

At the time Pierce was a parish priest in the West Cross area of Swansea. When those offences were admitted, the Church in Wales reviewed how issues relating to Mr Pierce had been handled in the past and found that senior clergy had apparently been aware of other sexual abuse allegations against him when he was appointed Archdeacon in 1995 and then Bishop of Swansea and Brecon in 1999. These allegations were not reported to the police until 2010.

The damning report from independent investigator Gabrielle Higgins traces how concerns about Pierce’s behaviour towards the other boy were known about but not pursued for decades.

Speaking after the publication of the report, Children’s Commissioner for Wales Rocio Cifuentes said the findings “confirm missed opportunities and concerns that were not properly dealt with,” adding that the case demonstrates “why independent oversight of safeguarding arrangements in faith settings remains essential.”

Ms Cifuentes said: “Children and survivors must have confidence that their concerns will be acted on robustly and impartially, not minimised or ignored. The report also highlights a clear need for a strong, safe whistleblowing pathway for individuals within institutions to be able to raise concerns without fear of negative consequences. I will be raising this again with the Welsh Government, and will seek a meeting with the Church in Wales to discuss their response.”

Reforms

The Children’s Commissioner is now calling on Welsh Government and faith institutions to introduce a series of concrete reforms she believes would strengthen safeguarding for children in Wales, including:

* A requirement for a clear, safe whistleblowing route within faith settings;

* Independent oversight of safeguarding in religious institutions – ending the current self‑policing model;

* Stronger national governance, including consideration of a Child Protection Authority to close long‑standing oversight gaps.

The Children’s Commissioner said she believes that the current review of safeguarding governance in Wales is an important moment to strengthen protections and ensure gaps like those highlighted in this case are finally addressed.

She also acknowledged the courage of those who came forward, saying that “children and adults affected by abuse deserve timely, trauma‑informed support and clear routes to raise concerns, which should always be acted upon.” Their experiences, she said, “should guide the improvements that follow.”

‘Heartfelt apologies’

The Archbishop of Wales, the Most Revd Cherry Vann, said: “The welfare of the victims of sexual abuse must always be our paramount concern, and we offer our most heartfelt apologies to those who have been failed by the Church in the past.

“I want to thank Gabrielle Higgins for her painstaking and conscientious work on this Review, which has engaged in a deep examination of complex and difficult issues dating back many decades. We owe her a debt of gratitude for the thoroughly professional way with which she has approached this challenging task.

“The Review shows in painful detail the missed opportunities, the harmful assumptions and the inadequate processes which characterised the Church’s response to these allegations of abuse for far too long.

“This catalogue of failures can only be a source of shame for the Church and will have caused further trauma to abuse victims and their families.

“While the safeguarding processes of the Church in Wales have improved immeasurably since the periods covered by the Review, there is no room for complacency, and we are committed to ensuring that our processes always follow current best practice.

“I welcome and fully accept the Review’s findings and recommendations, and we are implementing all the changes that need to be made.”