Caldey Island: Review into alleged historic child sex abuse

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An historic abbey on a remote Welsh island is at the heart of a major child abuse scandal after claims that more than 50 children were sexually abused by Catholic Monks in the 1970s and 80s.

The allegations relate back to incidents that reportedly occurred on Caldey Island, Wales which is renowned for its religious links, and the abuse was reportedly perpetuated by Cistercian monks.

According to a Daily Mail exclusive, visiting children, who have now grown to adults, said they were ‘raped in the historic abbey, sexually abused in the ornate gardens and threatened that they would go to hell if they breathed a word to anyone back on the mainland.’

Caldey Island

It is thought that the paedophile monks would befriend the children, who were as young as three, and gift them with sweets before committing horrific abuses on the stone altar in the island’s ruins.

Speaking to MailOnline, victim Kevin O’Connell, 61, just 10 when he was raped, claims he witnessed the ‘industrial abuse’ of children. When he put out an appeal on social media, more than 50 people aged between 45 and 60 came forward to say it happened to them.

However, the independent review comes after victims have been calling for the government to launch a public inquiry into the claims, which is yet to come to fruition.

Mr. O’Connell, a stonemason living near New Quay, Cardiganshire said the reason a full Public Inquiry hasn’t been launched is because one of the monks who allegedly abused the victims has died.

“That doesn’t make sense – the inquiry into Jimmy Savile didn’t even start until after he was dead.

‘We have brought in top lawyers and we are still pushing for a Public Inquiry. It’s disgusting that there has been no justice for what happened to so many young children,” he said.

This week, The Caldey Abbey estate appointed Independent Safeguarding Consultant and former Assistant Police & Crime Commissioner for South Wales, Jan Pickles OBE to lead a ‘thorough review’ into historical claims of child abuse.

The review comes following the appointment of Father Jan Rossey as the abbey’s new superior, who is supportive of the inquiry. He said:

“In common with many other organisations, Caldey Abbey has, in the past, received disclosures and allegations involving members of the monastic community about their behaviour towards children.

“We take these allegations very seriously and, in order to uphold our commitment to safeguarding, we have commissioned a leading independent safeguarding consultant, Jan Pickles OBE, to conduct a thorough review”.

Dozens of people claimed they were sexually abused by a monk living on the island, but none of the abusers have ever been convicted.

Six of the alleged victims were compensated by Caldey Abbey in an out-of-court settlement in March 2017, and a number of others have since come forward with allegations.

Kevin O’Connell, who has campaigned for an inquiry into allegations that he and others were abused on the island, has described the announcement as a “small way forward”.

But in a statement, he said it was not the independent safeguarding inquiry he and others had been fighting for. He said:

“Independent means a professional team of people who actually want to protect children and vulnerable adults.

“Our voices are being heard but not listened to.”

Historical sexual abuse claims

If you have been a victim of historical sexual abuse, you may have suffered physically and psychologically for many years. But even if decades have passed since the abuse took place, it is never too late to seek justice.

By pursuing a historical sexual abuse claim, victims can seek compensation for the damages they have been through.

At Oakwood Solicitors we submit Historical Sexual Abuse claims through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), which means the perpetrator is never contacted.

What is historical abuse?

Historical abuse is when an adult was sexually abused as a child or young person under the age of 18. It can refer to a single incident or multiple occasions of abuse, it can have been carried out by a stranger, relative or someone you know.

Sexual or physical abuse is a crime whatever the age of the person it is perpetrated against. The Sexual Offences Act 1956 applies to crimes committed before May 2004, whereas the Sexual Offences Act 2003 applies to offences committed after this date.

Child sexual abuse is defined by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as enforcing or inciting a child to engage in sexual acts. Child sexual abuse is still abuse whether or not the child recognises that there is anything wrong.

How to make a claim

At Oakwood Solicitors, we make claims of this nature through the CICA.

There are strict eligibility criteria to qualify for CICA awards, however, for historic abuse cases, there can be exceptions.

For example, one of the criteria is that you must have reported the incident to the police as soon as possible. But, if you were a child at the time of the abuse and you did not have the means to contact the police, or if you did not realise what was happening was wrong at the time, the CICA may make exceptions.

By using a solicitor to make your claim, you will have a higher chance of a successful outcome with the CICA.

What can I claim?

The CICA pay out compensation for injuries based on their tariff of injuries. You can only receive compensation for 3 injuries from this tariff, and only the highest valued will be paid the full amount. The second and third highest-valued injuries will be paid at 30% and 15% of the tariff amount respectively.

In addition to this, the CICA can give awards for special expenses that directly relate to the abuse. They must be reasonable, necessary and a direct result of the crime you’re claiming for.

In order to claim special expenses, you will need to have experienced a loss of earnings for at least 28 full weeks after the incident. There are a range of special expenses that will be backdated; however, if you wish to claim loss of earnings, this will only be paid from the 29th week onwards.

For more information on the process of claiming for historical abuse, speak with one of

Compensation guidelines

The CICA uses guidelines to establish how much compensation to issue. They pay out compensation for injuries based on their tariff and you can only receive compensation for 3 injuries from this tariff, and only the highest valued will be paid at the full amount. The second and third highest-valued injuries will be paid at 30% and 15% of the tariff amount respectively.

In addition to this, the CICA can give awards for special expenses that directly relate to the abuse. They must be reasonable, necessary and a direct result of the crime you’re claiming for.

To claim special expenses, you will need to have experienced a loss of earnings for at least 28 full weeks after the incident. There are a range of special expenses that will be backdated; however, if you wish to claim loss of earnings, this will only be paid from the 29th week onwards.

Why should I choose Oakwood Solicitors Ltd to make my claim?

Oakwood Solicitors Ltd agrees to work on your historical abuse claim on a ‘no-win, no-fee’ basis. If your claim is unsuccessful, you will not be expected to pay us a penny.

If you are successful in your claim, we take a percentage of the compensation meaning that the only time we will receive money is if we have brought your claim to a fruitful conclusion.

You will have a dedicated advisor who will see your claim through from start to finish, assisting you in the event of any queries or issues you may have. If it is preferable to you, we can assign you one of our female advisors to carry out your claim.

Your case handler will also continue to provide regular updates until the conclusion of your claim, ensuring the process is as stress-free and effortless as possible.

Caldey Island: Review into alleged historic child sex abuse by monks on Welsh island announced