Caldey Island Monk's Decades of Child Abuse Exposed in Safeguarding Report

An independent review reveals systemic failures and a culture of secrecy that enabled abuse by Father Thaddeus Kotik over four decades on the Welsh island.

Father Thaddeus Kotik, a monk on Caldey Island, sexually abused children from the late 1960s to 1992, targeting both residents and visitors in 'plain sight.'
The review highlights failures of leadership within the abbey, including repeated allegations ignored and unreported to authorities, allowing Kotik to continue abusing children for decades.
Victims described being groomed with gifts and lured to isolated locations, while some reported being abused multiple times a day during visits to the island.
The report also uncovered a hostile and dismissive response to survivors, with some being threatened with legal action or labeled as liars by the abbey's representatives.
The current abbot, Father Jan Rossey, has apologized for the abuse and pledged to implement 12 safeguarding recommendations, including a 'no touch' policy and survivor involvement in oversight.