The Times again

The Times is still taking an interest in St. Benedict's. It has published two stories recently. Extracts from the two articles are below.

Priest and teacher at Roman Catholic school charged with sexual abuse
David Brown and Sean O'Neill
November 25 2010 12:01AM

London Two former teachers at one of Britain’s top Roman Catholic schools have been been charged with sexually abusing a young pupil. Father David Pearce and John Mastrie are alleged to have repeatedly abused the boy while he was at St Benedict’s School in the late 1970s. The alleged victim contacted police after reading articles in The Times about allegations of historical abuse at the school, which is attached to the Benedictine monastery at Ealing Abbey, in West London. 

Priest charged with sexual assault of boy in London school
Sean O'Neill Crime Editor
December 4 2010 12:01AM

Two former teachers at a leading Roman Catholic independent school appeared in court yesterday charged with sexually assaulting a pupil.

Father David Pearce, 69, and John Maestri, 72, are accused of a series of assaults on the boy while he was attending St Benedict’s School, Ealing, West London, in 1978 and 1979.

The pupil, who was 11 at the time of the alleged incidents, contacted police in June in the wake of an investigation by The Times into allegations of child sex abuse at the school and at Ealing Abbey, the adjoining Benedictine monastery.

The men appeared before West London Magistrates’ Court in Hammersmith and spoke only to confirm their identities, ages and addresses. They did not enter any pleas to the charges under the Sexual Offences Act 1956 of indecently assaulting a boy under 16. Both will appear in court again next month. 

It seems likely that each hearing in the case is going to get reported by the Times. Hopefully this publicity will encourage more abuse survivors to come forward with their accounts.