Sexual abuse by priest revealed 40 years on

A British man who claims to have suffered repeated sexual abuse at the hands of a Maltese priest in a local school four decades ago, when he was 10 years old, has finally decided to open up about the harrowing experience that scarred him for life.

The 50-year-old Englishman kept his story a secret for many years. Now, however, his psychiatrist is recommending he seeks closure on the incidents that marred his childhood and deeply troubled his teenage and adult years.

Saying he was encouraged by the recent conviction of former Vatican treasurer Cardinal George Pell for historic child sex abuse, the man has reported the matter to the police and the Curia’s Safeguarding Commission.

The Sunday Times of Malta has chosen not to publish his name, the name of the priest he accuses of abuse, or of the school where the abuse allegedly took place between May 1979 and September 1981. The priest has since passed away.

The commission, which is tasked with investigating sexual abuse claims against members of the clergy said it is investigating the claim and is collaborating with the police on the matter.

The man told The Sunday Times of Malta in an emotional Skype call that the abuse took place...