52 months imprisonment for priest who molested three girls
An 82-year old priest has been jailed for abusing three young girls whilst serving as vicar of St. Ninian’s Church in Douglas on the Isle of Man. On 28 March 2018 the Court of General Gaol Delivery sentenced Graham Gregory to four years and four months imprisonment after he was found guilty at trial of having committed indecent assaults against three girls. The offenses took place between 1975 and 1990 while Gregory was serving as a parish priest. The age of the victims at they time they were molested ranted from eight to 13 years of ago.
In a statement released on the website of the Diocese of Sodor & Man after the sentence was handed down, a spokesman for the Church of England wrote:
There are no excuses whatsoever for what took place; abuse is a terrible crime and a grievous breach of trust, which has lifelong effects. The Diocese of Sodor and Man apologises unreservedly to those survivors of Graham Gregory’s abuse and pays tribute to their bravery in coming forward.
The Diocese has worked closely with the police and statutory authorities throughout this process. The Diocese of Sodor and Man is committed to making the church a safer place for all and has clear procedures in place.
We continue to urge anyone has been affected by this news to please contact the Public Protection Unit at Police headquarters who can be contacted on 01624 631499
We ask for prayers for all concerned during this time and by these events.
Speaking on behalf of the Isle of Man Public Protection Unit which investigated the crimes, DC Alison Thompson said:
Mr Gregory abused his trusted position and sexually assaulted the victims who were young girls aged between 8 years and 13 years old.
The victims have shown immense courage by reporting these offences to the Police and throughout the investigation and Court process and I would like to personally thank them for that.
I would also like to thank the Victim Support Service and the Prosecution Team for the support shown to the victims and the witnesses throughout the investigation and subsequent General Gaol trials.
Being the victim of any form of sexual offence is extremely traumatic and distressing and it takes strength and courage to report such matters. Specialist Detectives from the Public Protection Team at Police Headquarters are available to speak with anyone who wishes to report any sexual abuse and those officers will be able to offer specialist support, guidance and advice and support those victims throughout any Police investigation.