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C of E issues apology after former priest convicted of 17 assaults
The Guardian
|August 22, 2025
The Church of England has apologised "unreservedly" for its failure to act over a priest who assaulted young women who attended his evangelical church inspired by rave culture.
Christopher Brain was found guilty on 17 charges of indecent assault against attendees of the Nine O'Clock Service (NOS) in Sheffield between 1986 and 1995, following a trial that lasted more than seven weeks.
The jury found him not guilty on a further 15 charges of indecent assault, and was unable to reach verdicts on a further four charges of indecent assault and one charge of rape.
The 68-year-old, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, denied all charges.
In a statement, Pete Wilcox, the bishop of Sheffield, said: "What happened was an appalling abuse of power and leadership that should never have occurred.
"Where concerns were raised in the past and were not acted upon properly, that was a failing of the church. For those institutional failures I offer an unreserved apology."
He said he was deeply sorry for the harm Brain's victims had suffered, adding that the church was "committed to supporting those affected".
This story is from the August 22, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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