UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian
Sandra Laville Crime correspondent
Tuesday 8 September 2015
A former Church of England bishop has admitted sexually abusing more than 20 young men decades after his victims first complained.
Peter Ball, the former bishop of Lewes and Gloucester, pleaded guilty on Tuesday morning to two counts of indecent assault relating to two young men and one charge of misconduct in public office, which relates to the sexual abuse of 19 young men over a period of 15 years from 1977 to 1992.
Ball, 83, has connections to Prince Charles, whom he has described in the past as “a loyal friend”.
Ball was a senior figure in the diocese before he was enthroned as the bishop of Gloucester in 1991, a ceremony attended by Prince Charles. When Ball resigned in 1993 he moved to Manor Lodge, in the Somerset village of Aller. The wisteria-clad property is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, the private estate headed by Charles.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.