FAMILY OUTRAGED AS CHURCH PROMOTES FUNERAL OF PAEDOPHILE PRIEST ANTHONY LAUNHY IN CROYDON

In May 2014, a wave of anger and disgust swept through a family after a church advertised the funeral of Anthony Laundy, a convicted paedophile priest, in its newsletter. Laundy, who served at Sacred Heart church in Edge Hill, Wimbledon, and later at St Winefride’s church in Kew Gardens, was sentenced for abusing boys during his priesthood. He passed away last month.

The mother of one of Laundy’s victims, who has chosen to remain anonymous for legal reasons, expressed her disbelief that a coach trip had been organized for people to attend the funeral in Croydon on Tuesday. She said, “My son was systematically abused by Laundy over four to five years and has suffered ever since. I am absolutely enraged. The church where he perpetrated many of his crimes advertising his funeral is outrageous.”

She added that seeing her son’s abuser’s funeral advertised brought back traumatic memories. Even years later, her son struggles with trust issues following the abuse, which Laundy admitted to before being jailed in 2000. The mother criticized the church’s handling of the funeral arrangement, saying, “They are treating his funeral like a parish church outing, with drinks and nibbles, when this is a convicted paedophile who caused extensive harm to my son and others.”

The mother has called for an apology from the churches that advertised Laundy’s funeral. Father Tom Scannell of St Winifride’s church issued an apology, stating, “The family had been deeply hurt by the item in the newsletter of St Winifride’s.”

Conversely, John Neil, a parishioner at Sacred Heart, explained that including Laundy’s obituary in the church newsletter was merely a formality extended to anyone who passed away. He stated, “It is not about condoning what may or may not have happened with Tony Laundy. It would be more extraordinary to bury a man hush-hush—people must be invited to pray for him, and his family are bereaved. We recognize people may or may not have sinned in the past. We have to pray for the repose of his soul. It is not without sympathy for the victims.”

A significant number of mourners gathered for the funeral service, which took place at St Mary’s Catholic Church on Wellesley Road in Croydon.