84-year-old Anthony Pierce, from Swansea Vale, pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent assault on a child under the age of 16 at Swansea Crown Court on Friday February 7, 2025.
Pierce was Bishop of Swansea and Brecon between 1999 and 2008.
Swansea Crown Court heard Pierce had carried out the abuse on a boy under the age of 16 while he was a parish priest in West Cross between 1985 and 1990.
In a statement read to the court, the victim said, “I remember feeling an overwhelming sense of embarrassment and shame as I was unable to say no. I never felt as though I could speak to anyone about the abuse as Anthony made me feel special and I thought I was helping him.”
“Looking back this was grooming. I was unable to move past the trauma of what happened. Upon hearing that Tony had pleaded guilty I felt vindicated and I have finally accepted this has happened to me, I have finally been released from something that has had a hold over me for so many years.”
“I can finally begin the healing process and I’m excited to see where the journey takes me.”
The Church in Wales said the allegations did not emerge until 2023 when the victim reported it to a safeguarding officer.
It added that an independent review had begun into a separate allegation of sexual abuse by Pierce that was reported to senior church leaders in 1993, but not forwarded to police until 17 years later, by which time the victim had died and a police investigation could not take place.
Following today’s Crown Court hearing, Pierce has been sentenced to four years and one month in prison. Upon release, he will be made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He will be on the sex offenders register for life.
Detective Inspector Sharon Gill-Lewis from South Wales Police said: “I commend the bravery of the victim in reporting Anthony Pierce’s actions, which was instrumental in helping bring him to justice.
“I would also like to pay tribute to Detective Constable Sioned Davies, whose work during this investigation was so important in bringing Anthony Pierce’s offending to light.
“South Wales Police takes all reports of sexual assault seriously and urges victims to come forward to report it – regardless of when it happened – safe in the knowledge that they will be treated with respect and dignity and that their allegation will be fully investigated.”
A Church in Wales spokesperson said, “ We acknowledge the bravery of the survivor in coming forward and thank the Police, Crown Prosecution Service and the Local Authority for their careful work in this case.”
“The Church in Wales is appalled at the offences which have been revealed in this case and expresses its deepest sympathy with the victim for the abuse they have suffered. It is a cause of the most profound shame that a priest in the Church in Wales should have been convicted of such shocking crimes. Our prayers are with the survivor and with all victims of abuse, whose welfare must always be at the heart of our work.
“We hope that the manner with which the disclosure was handled when it came to light in 2023 will give confidence that the Church is serious about dealing firmly and decisively with any such cases.
“An internal investigation prompted by the disclosure suggests that in 1993 a small number of members of the Church in Wales had been aware of a further allegation against Mr Pierce, but that this was not shared with Police until 2010.
“The Church in Wales Safeguarding Committee has now commissioned an independent external review of the Church in Wales’s handling of this second allegation, which will commence immediately and will be published upon completion. The review will also consider how safeguarding allegations are handled in the Church’s current systems for the appointment of Archdeacons and Bishops and whether any changes to these processes are necessary.”
“The Church in Wales is determined to demonstrate that it is a safe place and that anyone coming forward will have their concerns or disclosures taken seriously, treated with compassion, and taken forward according to the highest current standards. If our people and processes have failed victims and survivors of abuse in the past, we intend to take responsibility for that fact and to fully apply the lessons which have been learned.”
“There is no place for any form of abuse in the Church in Wales. We give the highest priority to the care and protection of children and vulnerable people in our communities. To this end, we regularly review our safeguarding procedures and provide extensive training to staff and volunteers.”
“We encourage anyone with safeguarding concerns to contact a member of our team via the Church in Wales website.”
(Lead image: South Wales Police)
