VICKERY HOUSE FROM HANDCROSS GUILTY OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN EAST SUSSEX AND DEVON

In a landmark case that has sent shockwaves through the religious community and the wider public, retired priest Vickery House, aged 69, has been found guilty of multiple counts of indecent assault spanning over a decade and a half. The convictions were handed down at the Old Bailey, where the jury deliberated for nearly 21 hours before reaching their verdicts.

House, who was a vicar in Berwick, East Sussex, during much of the period in question, was convicted of five counts of indecent assault on males, with one of the victims being as young as 14 years old. He was acquitted on three additional counts. The allegations against him date back to the 1970s, with the earliest accusations involving a 14-year-old boy in Crediton, Devon, in 1970. Prosecutor Jake Hallam highlighted a disturbing pattern in the allegations, emphasizing that House exploited his position of authority to make unwanted sexual advances. When rebuffed, he would cease his advances, but the power imbalance made it difficult for young victims to resist.

One of the victims, after moving to Berwick near the South Downs in East Sussex to teach Bible studies under the Church of England's 'Give A Year For Christ' scheme, recounted how House attempted to assault him. The young man told the court that he told House to stop touching him and tried to go to bed, only to be blocked by House, who declared, “I want you.” The court also heard that other victims were connected to or involved with the same church scheme, which was used by House and others to target young men and aspiring priests.

The final assault was reported to have occurred during a country walk in the early 1980s, where House engaged in a 'deep and meaningful' conversation with a young man. When a complaint was made about House’s conduct in 1984, Bishop Peter Ball, a prominent figure in the Church of England and a known associate of House, responded by writing a letter expressing regret and promising that the matter would be looked into. Ball, who was later convicted of molesting young men between 1977 and 1992, was sentenced to 32 months in prison earlier this month after admitting misconduct and indecent assault.

The case against House was initially reported to Devon Police in 2001, but for reasons that remain unclear, authorities failed to act at that time. It was only in 2012, following a renewed investigation prompted by a Church review into Bishop Ball, that House and Ball were finally arrested. During the trial, House denied all allegations, claiming he was “flabbergasted and confused” upon arrest. He admitted to harboring repressed gay feelings but insisted he had been happily married to his childhood sweetheart for 47 years and had two grown children. House also acknowledged that many of the incidents described by his accusers had occurred but maintained that he mistakenly believed his advances would be welcomed, denying the allegations involving the 14-year-old and the young man he gave a lift to.

Throughout the proceedings, House denied using the young men for his own sexual gratification and insisted he had no interest in their consent or willingness. Notably, the court did not hear evidence linking House directly to Bishop Peter Ball, who was referred to as a senior clergyman. Out of the four victims connected to both men, House was convicted in three cases. The court's decision marks a significant moment in the ongoing reckoning within the Church of England regarding historical abuse and misconduct by its clergy, with the church already issuing an apology and launching an investigation into its handling of the scandal.