Victims of pervert priest speak out
Two victims of a paedophile priest, who used to work in Sedlescombe, have spoken out about their ordeal after he was jailed this week.
The Rev Colin Pritchard, who was at the church of St John the Baptist at Sedlescombe for 12 years before being inducted vicar of St Barnabas Church, Bexhill, in October 2001, was jailed for five years at Northampton Crown Court on Monday after admitting sexually abusing the youths more than 20 years ago.
The two men were abused by 64-year-old Pritchard along with another vicar, Father Roy Cotton, the former incumbent at St Andrew's, Seaside, Eastbourne.
Cotton was at St Andrew's in the 1970s and 80s and he and Pritchard sexually abused young boys.
But Cotton died in 2006 before any charges could be brought against him.
One of Cotton's victims said he believed many young boys were abused by both clergymen at St Andrew's vicarage, where Pritchard was a frequent visitor.
The man, who is now aged around 40 and lives in Eastbourne, said he first reported Pritchard and Cotton to police in 1996 and both men were arrested and denied the offences.
The two clergymen were investigated by police over a three year period before the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to pursue the case because of a lack of independent evidence.
But it was resurrected in 2006 when a man living in Northampton came forward and made identical allegations against Cotton and Pritchard.
Cotton died two weeks before both men were due to be re-arrested.
Pritchard initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but when he was warned the evidence against him was damning and he faced a prison sentence, he pleaded guilty.
The Eastbourne victim, who has asked to remain anonymous, said, "I have been seeking justice in this matter for 12 years and myself and the other victims were more than prepared to stand up in court and publicly tell our stories in a full trial. Pritchard and Cotton were not innocent men, a fact that has now been proven in a court of law.
"I am sure there are more victims of Pritchard, Cotton and others out there and any publicity that this case gets can only help with exposing these priests for who they are, encourage more victims to come forward and to show there has been collusion between them and that the Church has covered it up or turned a blind eye."
Another victim of Cotton said he was introduced to him when his mother began taking him to the Sunday School at St Andrews and he was often invited in to the vicarage for tea.
The first time Cotton abused him he had been watching television in the vicarage.
He said, "I couldn't do anything. I know that I wanted him to stop.I can remember being in tears in his hallway and him pleading with me not to tell anyone.
"When I got home I washed and washed and washed. I couldn't let anyone find out."
"This scenario was repeated time and time again. Eventually I managed to develop the technique of turning my mind off completely. I was repulsed by it. I went to the choir's annual trip around Europe in the church mini bus. I knew why I was there. I started to wonder if he was doing the same to other members of the choir. I told the police at the time but was told I was making it up and to go away."
Cotton was priest-in-charge at St Andrew's from 1974-76 and vicar from then until 1984. He then became rector of Brede with Udimore, near Rye.
Pritchard, who retired on health grounds in 2006, had his permission to officiate within the Church of England suspended when the allegations came to light.
The Chichester Diocese issued a statement this week saying it was dismayed at the case.
A spokesperson said, "The crimes were a betrayal of the standards expected of clergy, and we offer our sympathy to the victims of the crimes and their families. Appropriate pastoral support is available to them.
"A full review of this case will be undertaken, as part of the current review of historic reports of abuse that has been commissioned in each diocese by the House of Bishops, and carried out by independent reviewers."
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Monday 28 May 2012
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