CHICHESTER VICAR SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE

A former vicar who subjected a woman and a girl to sexual abuse, claiming that "this is what God wanted," has been sentenced to eight years in prison. Meirion Griffiths, aged 81, was convicted last month of four counts of indecent assault after a six-day retrial. He had moved from Chichester, West Sussex, to Perth, Australia, but was extradited back to the UK to face justice. During sentencing, the judge at Portsmouth Crown Court described Griffiths' actions as an "enormous breach of trust." Judge Roger Hetherington highlighted the devastating impact on the victims, calling their suffering "highly-impressionable, naive and innocent" lives-ruined. At the time of the offenses, Griffiths was serving as a Church of England vicar at St Pancras Church in Chichester. He was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault against Julie Macfarlane, who waived her right to anonymity. The assaults took place during the mid-1970s, on multiple occasions, when she was 16 and engaged in discussions about her faith with Griffiths. Ms Macfarlane told the BBC that Griffiths had forced himself on her during those times. Griffiths was also convicted of two counts of indecent assault against a woman in her mid-20s in 1982. He was found not guilty of two additional charges. Prosecutor Richard Witcombe detailed how Griffiths exploited Ms Macfarlane's trust, abusing her while teaching her to drive and during trips to the beach, where he would swim without clothes. Griffiths, who was married with two children, targeted her because she attended Bible classes and social groups at his church. The court heard that Griffiths used his position as a minister to manipulate and abuse her, telling her it was "what God wanted." Additionally, a second victim, who also gave her testimony in court, described how she attempted to take her own life due to the trauma endured. She suffered from PTSD and said, "The abuse has caused profound irreparable damage and intense ongoing trauma," adding that Griffiths, knowing she was vulnerable, used his authority to control her life. A statement from the Diocese of Chichester expressed deep sorrow and acknowledged the victims’ bravery in coming forward. It emphasized that all cases of sexual abuse are a betrayal and must be brought into the light for justice to be served.