Abbey stripped of pupil welfare role after abuse allegations

AMPLEFORTH ABBEY has been stripped of responsibility for pupil welfare at its college by the Charity Commission amid concerns about its management of sex abuse allegations.

The commission has removed responsibility for safeguarding matters from trustees at the boarding school, as it said it had not improved its policies enough since an inquiry into the charity following allegations of sexual abuse was launched in 2016.

It said it had taken action “as a result of continued concerns about the extent to which current safeguarding risks to pupils at the schools run by the charities are being adequately managed”.

The commission opened inquiries into Ampleforth Abbey and the St Laurence Education Trust in November 2016 following revelations that alleged sexual abuse at the school had been covered up.

Ampleforth College in Yorkshire is run by the St Laurence Education Trust, which also runs prep school St Martin’s Ampleforth, which announced its closure earlier this year.

Last year the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse heard that allegations of sexual abuse had been made against 40 monks and teachers who had previously lived or worked at the Catholic boarding school and religious community.

Emma Moody, a specialist charity lawyer at Womble Bond Dickinson, has been appointed as interim manager of both charities.

Harvey Grenville, head of investigations and enforcement at the Charity Commission, said: “It is of paramount importance that beneficiaries, and others who come into contact with charities, are protected from harm.”