Bishop describes former Sheffield vicar's decade of abuse as matter of 'deep shame' for church

In the trial of Hilary Alflatt, aged 87, it emerged that the church authorities had received two complaints about his behaviour in the 1990s, but the issue was “swept under the carpet” to avoid “scandal”.

The issue came to light more recently following a review by the church of previous cases, which led officials to go to the police who then contacted the victim.

Alflatt has dementia and is in a nursing home in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, and was unfit to take part in his trial at Hull Crown Court.

MORE: Vicar at Sheffield church branded woman with cross and locked her up naked in decade-long abuse, court told

A jury found he had committed actual bodily harm over a decade during the 1980s when he was working in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, and would repeatedly hit the woman with a bamboo cane.

The jury was unable to reach a verdict on a charge that he branded the vulnerable woman with a hot needle.

He was cleared of two counts of false imprisonment.

Alflatt, then called Malcolm, was to tell police it was part of a consensual relationship.

The prosecution said the offending was “about power, control, depravity and sadism on his part.”

Louise Reevell, prosecuting, referred to two complaints that were made in 1994 and 1998 about Alflatt’s behaviour towards the woman.

She told the court: “I am afraid the Church of England just swept it under the carpet and did not want a scandal.”

But in more recent years there was a “clean-up operation” by the church which led to this investigation, Miss Reevell said.

After the case, the Bishop of Sheffield apologised to the victim, who cannot be identified by the media.

The Rt Revd Dr Pete Wilcox said: “It is a matter of deep shame that a former priest in the Church of England, serving in this Diocese of Sheffield, has been found by a jury to have committed an offence of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in a pattern of abuse which lasted a decade.

“There are no excuses whatsoever for what took place and it is a cause of great regret to us that the matter has only now come to court.

“Clerical abuse is a grievous breach of trust, which almost always, as in this case, causes life-long harm.

“I wish to apologise unreservedly to the survivor of this abuse for what she suffered and to pay tribute to her bravery in coming forward to seek justice.

“We have worked closely with the police and statutory authorities throughout this process and we continue to urge anyone distressed by this news to contact [email protected].”

Judge Sophie McKone will decide how to deal with Alflatt at a hearing on May 3.

Her options are to give an absolute discharge, make a guardianship order or a hospital order as he cannot be given a criminal sentence as he was unfit to take part in his trial.