Martin Thrower

The Very Rev Martin Thrower, aged 56 and formerly the rector of Hadleigh in Suffolk, has been permanently removed from his clerical position following a conviction for voyeurism. The offences occurred at the Buttermarket shopping centre in Ipswich, where Thrower was caught filming individuals using the public toilets without their consent.

Thrower admitted to two counts of voyeurism at Norwich Crown Court. In August 2017, he was sentenced to a four-month jail term, which was suspended, meaning he did not serve time in prison provided he adhered to certain conditions. The court proceedings highlighted the invasive nature of the crimes, which involved Thrower using a mobile phone to record men in private moments within toilet cubicles.

Following his criminal conviction, the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich initiated an internal disciplinary process. In October 2017, Thrower was formally dismissed from his role as rector and barred from performing any ministry as a priest in the Church of England for a period of seven years. This decision was not publicly announced at the time, though the diocese has since confirmed it is reviewing the matter for greater transparency.

The incident that led to Thrower's arrest was uncovered by a 17-year-old boy who noticed a hand holding a mobile phone over the top of his toilet cubicle at the shopping centre. This prompted an immediate report to authorities, leading to Thrower's identification and subsequent charges. Although the offences were unrelated to his church duties, the Church of England acted swiftly upon learning of the allegations, suspending him from ministry pending the outcome of the legal and internal processes.

John Howard, a spokesman for the diocese, stated: "The Church of England apologises unreservedly to those people affected by the criminal behaviour of Martin Thrower." He emphasised the devastating impact of voyeurism on victims and reaffirmed the Church's commitment to safeguarding. Howard noted that Thrower could potentially apply to return to ministry after the seven-year ban, but only after undergoing an independent safeguarding risk assessment to evaluate his suitability.

The case, reported by The Independent on 12 March 2018, underscores the Church of England's zero-tolerance approach to criminal conduct among its clergy, even when unrelated to ecclesiastical activities. No further details on the exact dates of the filming incidents were provided in the coverage.