Father Laurence Soper of Ealing wanted over sex abuse
Police are hunting a former abbot from London over a string of sex offences dating back 20 years.
Father Laurence Soper, 80, abbot of the Catholic Ealing Abbey from 1991 to 2000, is wanted over child abuse. The crimes date back to when he taught at St Benedict's School, a private Catholic school at the west London institution.
A European Arrest Warrant may now be issued after the Metropolitan Police said Father Soper did not answer bail.
The suspect is thought to be at a monastery in Rome.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "An 80-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of an historical sexual assault.
"He was bailed to a west London police station to March 2011.
"The man failed to appear and inquiries are being made to trace him."
Failure to co-operateA message on Ealing Abbey's website from current Abbot Martin Shipperlee said: "Many of you will have read news reports concerning my predecessor.
"Accusations have been made against him concerning offences against children."
It continued: "Early in March he left the monastery in Rome where he had been living to travel to London for an appointment with the police.
"Unfortunately he failed to keep that appointment and we have heard nothing from him since and all efforts to contact him have been without success.
"I cannot comment on the details of the police investigation but I must condemn without reservation his failure to co-operate with them."
Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15307006
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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