Bishop of Salisbury Calls for Abusive Priest’s MBE to be Revoked
The Bishop of Salisbury demands the removal of an MBE from a jailed priest for historic sexual abuse of boys at a boarding school
Timothy Biles, Salisbury, Abuse, MBE, Church of England, Beaminster, Dorset
Beaminster: The Bishop of Salisbury is making some serious demands. He wants a disgraced priest, Timothy Biles, to lose his MBE after being jailed for abusing boys at a boarding school.
Bishop Stephen Lake expressed his shock over Biles’ actions, which led to a six-year prison sentence for historic sexual abuse. Biles, who was a PE master and chaplain back in the 1960s, assaulted two boys during his time at the school.
After his time at the school, Biles had a long career in the Church of England, serving in places like Beaminster and Sherborne. He even received an MBE in 2020 for his service, which now seems utterly misplaced.
The victims kept quiet about the abuse for years until they reconnected on Facebook in 2018. One of them sent the other Biles’ LinkedIn profile, leading to a police investigation that ultimately put Biles behind bars.
Bishop Lake took immediate action, removing Biles’ title of Canon Emeritus and pushing for the MBE to be revoked. However, he noted that the final decision rests with the honours Forfeiture Committee.
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Salisbury expressed horror at the details of Biles’ crimes, which occurred decades ago at St Francis School, now closed. They acted quickly to remove his permission to officiate as a priest once they were informed by the police.
In court, it was revealed that Biles had easy access to boys at the school and exploited his position. He would have one victim sit on his lap while they watched TV, and he summoned another to his quarters under the guise of preparing him for confirmation.
Judge Jonathan Fuller pointed out that Biles took advantage of vulnerable children, knowing full well the power he held over them. The victims, now adults, bravely shared their stories in court.
Revd Canon David Baldwin, who worked with Biles, said the parishioners were left in shock. He acknowledged that many might feel frustrated and angry, especially following recent events in the church.