British probe says monks hid sex abuse

LONDON — A British inquiry concluded Thursday that sexual abuse at two leading Roman Catholic schools in England was considerably higher than is reflected by conviction figures, with monks hiding allegations to protect the church’s reputation.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse issued a scathing report saying that monks at Ampleforth in northern England and Downside in the southwest hid allegations of “appalling sexual abuse” against pupils as young as 7. Ten people linked to the schools have been cautioned over or convicted of sexual activity or pornography offenses involving a “large number of children.”

“The true scale of the abuse however is likely to be considerably higher,” said inquiry chair Alexis Jay.

Ampleforth accepted responsibility for past failures and thanked Jay for her work.

“We would also like to once again offer our heartfelt apology to anyone who suffered abuse while in the care of our schools, parishes or other ministries,” it said in a statement.

Downside offered a “sincere and unreserved apology to all victims and survivors of sexual abuse.”

The schools, linked to the English Benedictine Congregation, were run at times by “secretive, evasive and suspicious” officials who avoided reporting misconduct, Jay said. Instead of informing authorities, church leaders confined suspected abusers to the abbey or sent them away to other locations where a history of predatory behavior wasn’t always disclosed — and children were abused as a consequence, the report said.

The church is one of 13 institutions being scrutinized by the inquiry for child-protection failings.