A retired Church of England vicar has appeared before an Indian court to answer charges of child abuse. The Rev. Jonathan Robinson (73) told the judicial magistrates’ court in Vallioor, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu on 26 Nov 2015 there was no truth in the accusation that he had sexually abused a 15 year old boy. In 2011 the Bangalore-based NGO Justice and Care filed a complaint that Mr. Robinson had taken the boy from the orphanage near Vallioor, set up by the Grail Trust — a charity founded by Robinson — and travelled to Delhi and Madras with him where he molested the child. Appearing with counsel before the court, the accused denied the charge and said the complainant had been pressured into laying a false charge against him. Mr. Robinson, who retired in 2001 as priest in charge of Priest-in-charge, St James, Wigmore, and St Mary Magdalene, Leinthall Starkes (Hereford), resigned from the board of the Grail Trust in 2011 after the charges were made. He has been granted bail and trial is expected to be held in 2016.
