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New Abuse Reports Prompt Police Probe of Bishop Pierce

5/7/2026

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Summary

Story summary

South Wales Police received three new reports of abuse by Bishop Anthony Pierce from the 1970s-80s.
Pierce, 85, is serving a term after pleading guilty in 2025 to five indecent assaults as a priest.
Church in Wales review found clergy knew of allegations when Pierce became Archdeacon in 1995 and Bishop in 1999.
Detective Inspector Tom Richardson said force believes victims may exist, urging with information to contact police.

History

Historical Context

After the Boston Globe’s 2002 expose of 87 abusive priests sparked the USCCB’s zero-tolerance Charter, the UK’s 2001 Lord Nolan safeguarding model spread across Anglican provinces. Those reforms set the backdrop for Wales, where the Episcopal Commission’s 2025 audit of historic abuse follows new police reports against former Bishop Anthony Pierce, highlighting ongoing institutional reckonings.

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Story summary

South Wales Police received three new reports of abuse by Bishop Anthony Pierce from the 1970s-80s.
Pierce, 85, is serving a term after pleading guilty in 2025 to five indecent assaults as a priest.
Church in Wales review found clergy knew of allegations when Pierce became Archdeacon in 1995 and Bishop in 1999.
Detective Inspector Tom Richardson said force believes victims may exist, urging with information to contact police.

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