Former Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, Anthony Pierce, has pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent assault on a boy under 16 dating back to the 1980s when he served as parish priest in West Cross. đź“‹
The 84-year-old appeared at Swansea Crown Court and was released on bail pending sentencing on March 7.
It has emerged that senior Church in Wales figures knew of a separate allegation against Pierce as early as 1993 – a full 17 years before police were informed. By the time authorities were alerted in 2010, the victim had passed away, making investigation impossible.
“Sadly, in this specific case the victim had passed away in 2010 when allegations were made of abuse. Therefore we are not able to progress the investigation,” a South Wales Police spokesman told the BBC.
Despite the 1993 allegation, Pierce was elected Bishop in 1999 and served in the role for nine years. He received recognition as a commander of the order of St John in 2002 and an honorary fellowship from Swansea University in 2011 – which is now under review.
The Church in Wales has confirmed an independent review is underway regarding the handling of allegations, stating: “The allegation relates to conduct in or around 1990 and appears to have been first reported to senior figures in the Church in Wales in 1993. The victim is now deceased, and in these terms of reference is referred to as ‘XY’.”
The review will also examine periods between 2011 and 2016 when Pierce’s permission to officiate was both removed and restored, and whether current systems for handling allegations require changes.
