Pritchard

Reverend Pritchard was a clergyman in the Chichester diocese convicted of sexual assaults against children. His case, involving offences against two boys, was part of the broader scandal of paedophile reverends in East Sussex, as covered by The Independent and examined in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

In 2008, Pritchard pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual assault against two boys. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment. Despite this, in February 2007—prior to his rearrest—he had been granted permission to conduct services upon retirement, highlighting Church failures in safeguarding.

The inquiry revealed how senior clergy often prioritised perpetrators' pastoral needs over victims', with testimony from safeguarding adviser Shirley Hosgood criticising such approaches. Pritchard's conviction and the subsequent leniency demonstrate the normalisation of abuse, where forgiveness was misapplied without victim input. The Independent noted this as a key example of systemic collusion in the diocese.