Kenneth Senior 101

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THE former Vicar of White Waltham developed a fondness for a choirboy which "crossed that terrible line" to become a physical relationship. Consequently, he would have to bear the penalty and guilt for the rest of his life, said the defence counsel at Maidenhead Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

The former vicar, Kenneth Norman Senior (62) now of Hope Rd, Leighton, Welshpool, Powys, pleaded guilty to two offences of indecently assaulting a male person under the age of 13 years.

He asked for 22 similar offences to be taken into consideration.

He was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for each offence, to run concurrently, but suspended for two years.

Prosecuting solicitor Mrs. Janet Fedrick told the court that in June 1982 the boy joined the choir at White Waltham church, where Senior was then vicar.

A few weeks after he joined, and for 18 months or two years, he was indecently assaulted by Senior on a number of occasions.

GIFTS

The boy would be asked if he wished to help with odd jobs. On various occasions, he would be taken to the bell tower, fondled and masturbated.

The boy also went on holiday with the vicar, to Tenerife, Fordingbridge, and the New Forest, Hants, where similar acts took place.

Mrs. Fedrick said the boy had never seen Senior naked. And at no time did Senior invite the boy to mutually exchange sexual expressions with him. There was no question of coercion or roughness.

"It was done, obviously, through his fondness for the boy," said Mrs. Fedrick.

She said the boy used to be paid both for the odd jobs, and his visits to the bell tower. Amounts would be entered on bits of paper, and on occasions he would receive gifts. On one occasion he received a bicycle.

Eventually the boy left the choir.

"He says he did not like these events," said Mrs. Fedrick. "He told no one, and did not tell the vicar that he did not.

"But if he could get out of choir practice, he did. Eventually, he became ill and left the choir about two years ago. It is only recently, in the middle of the summer of this year, that he told his mother about these events."

Defence counsel Mr. Richard Beckett said that this was one of those sad, wretched cases that made the role of magistrates particularly difficult and unenviable.

But much of the punisment had already been administered, or would be, over the coming years, to somebody whose family relationships were affected; selfesteem impaired; and whose role in life had gone.

"It is an isolated single relationship, one of fondness which should never have been allowed by Senior, the much older person, to have become a physical relationship. Sadly, once that terrible line had been crossed, it did continue in the same vein for a considerable period.

NO COERCION

"The police must, understandingly, have been aware throughout this matter that there was an absence of nastiness about the relationship. An absence of coercion, an absence of any sort of force, and the obvious presence of a considerable amount of affection," said Mr. Beckett.

He said Senior wished to put on record an apology to the boy and his parents.

Mr. Beckett said that, after working in South Africa, Senior felt he wished to join the Church, and was ordained in 1957. He came to White Waltham in 1974. He had worked hard in the parish. He had used his vicarage often to assist families in particular need. He had an excellent reputation. He was married, with four grownup children, who were supporting him.

Mr. Beckett said that Senior's wife had a stroke in early November.

"The feeling that haunts Senior is the knowledge that it cannot be entirely ruled out that it is connected with these incidents, he said.

PSYCHIATRY

Mr. Beckett said that Senior had been undergoing a psychiatric course for sometime. He obviously wished to ensure that there was no repetition of this type of offence.

Asking the magistrates not to send Senior to prison, Mr. Beckett said: "So much of the penalty and guilt is to be borne from this day onward for the rest of his life. Older people who have fallen from grace suffer more than those who have ample life before them to make amends."

Kenneth Senior graduated from Leeds University with a B.Sc. He was a school master for a number of years before joining the Church. St. Mary's was his first parish.

He stood as an Independent candidate for the Hurley ward at the District Council elections in 1979, but failed to win a seat.

Bishop's statement

AFTER the hearing, the following statement was issued by the Bishop of Reading, the Right Rev. Graham Foley: I cannot and I would not attempt to play down the gravity of what Mr. Senior has done. A parish priest is placed in a position of great trust and responsibility, and it is clearly a cause for great sadness when, through his frail humanity, he is unequal to this.

Had I had any suspicion of this at an earlier date, and had I been convinced of its substance, I would of course have suspended Mr. Senior at once. However, I had no idea of what was happening until police investigations were under way. As soon as I saw Mr. Senior he offered his resignation which I accepted at once, and he ceased to be Vicar of Shottesbrook with White Waltham as of that moment.

Everyone in this case has suffered appallingly, and the Church's first concern must be to minister to those who are hurt. That, of course, includes Mr. Senior himself. He did something very wrong, but he admitted what he had done, and immediately resigned his living. Now there are lives to be rebuilt, and a parish to be reassured of the pastoral concern and care of the Church.