GRAHAME HUMPHRIES

RETIRED COTSWOLD VICAR GRAHAME HUMPHRIES LISTED ON SEX OFFENDERS REGISTER FOR ABUSE AGAINST GIRL IN 1970S

A retired church of England vicar, Grahame Humphries, aged 71, has been convicted of sexual assault against a 14-year-old girl in the 1970s and has been listed on the sexual offenders register for five years.

The incident involved Humphries, who was then a 27-year-old curate at St Michael's Church, Earlsfield, south-west London, where he kissed and touched the girl on several occasions in 1971 and 1972.

The court heard detailed accounts of his actions, including an incident where he asked her to take her clothes off and was insistent.

Humphries admitted to kissing the girl and touching her breasts over her clothing but denied asking her to remove her clothes.

He was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, with a 24-month supervision order.

The judge highlighted that Humphries took advantage of his position of trust and that the girl had lived with the impact of his actions for 45 years.

The court also noted Humphries' condition called CMT, which he had used crutches for five years, and his clean life since the offence.

The victim had been in counseling for most of her life and came forward motivated by the seriousness of police cases like the Jimmy Savile enquiry.

The NSPCC commented on the case, emphasizing the lasting impact of abuse and encouraging both adults and children to seek help if needed.