RONALD JOHNS, FORMER CUMBRAIAN CANON AND REVEREND, SENTENCED TO FOUR YEARS IN JAIL IN CARLISLE

In November 2012, Ronald Johns, a 75-year-old former Canon and Reverend from Cumbria, received a four-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to child sex offences. Johns, of Kings Road, Coltishall, Norwich, Norfolk, was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court following allegations related to incidents involving three boys in Cumbria between 1983 and 1991.

Johns served as a Reverend in Borrowdale from 1979 to 1989, was Canon at Carlisle Cathedral from 1989 to 1994, and then served as a Reverend at Caldbeck from 1994 to 2001. He admitted to committing 10 counts of indecent assault and gross indecency during a prior hearing in September.

Detective Inspector Gary McFadden, the lead investigator, stated: “Today’s court appearance marks the end of a 12-month police investigation which only began due to the bravery of the victims who had the strength to come forward and report what had happened to them all those years ago. “This takes remarkable strength and they have remained our focus throughout the investigation. Many of those victims were in court today to see justice being brought by the sentence which was imposed.

“Johns abused his position of trust to commit heinous crimes against children — and now, nearly 20 years later, he has received his punishment. Cumbria Police take allegations of sexual offences extremely seriously — no matter when they occurred. We encourage any victims to contact us; we will support you and pursue justice.”

A spokesperson for the Carlisle Diocese commented: “A prison sentence can never be a cause for celebration, nor can it undo the wrongs done, but the sentence given to Ronald Johns today is just and fair, reflecting the severity of his crimes. We acknowledge that victims can be manipulated into feeling guilt, while the abuser seeks to justify himself. The Diocese of Carlisle hopes this sentence clearly affirms the truth: Ronald Johns committed wicked acts, which were not the victims’ fault or responsibility.”

Earlier in September 2012, Johns, a former canon of Carlisle Cathedral, admitted to a series of child sex offences involving three teenage boys from 1983 to 1991. He was granted bail and scheduled for sentencing on 19 November at Carlisle Crown Court.

Outside court, Richard Pratt, the Archdeacon of West Cumberland, issued an “unreserved” apology to Johns’ victims, expressing shock and grief over Johns’ admission. “It’s right that the highest standards should be expected of clergy, and Mr Johns has greatly failed his vocation and profession,” he said.

The Archdeacon revealed that when the church first became aware of the allegations in 1993, the then Bishop of Carlisle, The Right Reverend Ian Harland, chose not to notify authorities and instead moved Johns to a parish in Caldbeck, after receiving advice from a forensic psychiatrist that Johns was unlikely to reoffend. He criticized this decision as “absolutely wrong,” stating, “The decision was taken, absolutely wrongly, that he be moved from the cathedral to Caldbeck.”