'Cult' priest guilty of rape and assault of women

Brain's trials heard astatine slightest 2 members of clergy had raised concerns astir him with the Diocese of Sheffield years earlier helium was stopped.

After Brain was archetypal convicted successful August 2025, the Bishop of Sheffield, the Rt Rev Dr Pete Wilcox, apologised for "institutional failures" and announced an autarkic safeguarding into its response.

In a connection pursuing the latest verdicts connected Friday, helium said: "My archetypal thoughts contiguous are with the women whose courageousness brought this retrial to a conclusion. They person present fixed evidence, successful full, not erstwhile but twice.

"I americium acutely conscious of the outgo it has had for them.

"Last twelvemonth I offered an unreserved apology for the maltreatment of powerfulness and enactment that took spot wrong the Nine O'Clock Service. Today's verdict adds to that aforesaid picture, and my apology stands successful full."

Lawyer Richard Scorer, who is representing the women successful civilian enactment against the Church of England, called Brain a "serial abuser".

"But we mustn't hide that helium was fast-tracked to ordination, supported, promoted and protected by the Church of England," helium added.

"A afloat accounting of their relation successful this appalling saga is agelong overdue and indispensable present follow."

Julie Moss, elder crown authoritative for Yorkshire and Humberside, said Brain had perpetrated "a disturbing run of manipulation and abuse".

She added: "Victims were isolated from their loved ones, made financially and emotionally babelike connected the group, and made to judge that absorption to Brain's intersexual advances reflected their ain idiosyncratic oregon spiritual failings."

Det Supt Eleanor Welsh, of South Yorkshire Police, said: "These women person waited 3 oregon 4 decades for these verdicts and bravely relived their ordeals successful a bid to unafraid justice."

Judge Freya Newbury said victims would beryllium fixed the accidental to present interaction statements astatine a sentencing hearing, which is apt to instrumentality 2 days.