Methodist leader Steven Wild on trial for sexual assaults

Summarised from CornwallLive's report · Updated 4 Nov, 22:02 · Archive

Former Methodist Church leader Steven Wild is on trial at Truro Crown Court facing 10 counts of sexual assault and one of indecent assault.

Steven Wild, 72, from St Ives, is on trial at Truro Crown Court where he faces 10 counts of sexual assault and one of indecent assault. The charges relate to incidents allegedly ranging from 2004 to 2019 in locations including the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, Devon, Bristol, Derbyshire and Southport. All alleged victims were adult female members of the Methodist Church at the time of the incidents.

According to CornwallLive, a safeguarding audit of the Methodist Church in Cornwall in 2018 led five women to come forward or be identified to make complaints. The prosecution told the court that Wild held a position of significant power within the Church, having overall responsibility for safeguarding. One alleged victim reported that when she tried to raise concerns about his overly 'tactile behaviour', she was told not to make waves because 'the Church is at war with Satan and any fuss about him would undermine the war effort'. Wild denies all charges against him.

Read the report

• Former Cornwall Methodist leader Steven Wild on trial for alleged sexual assaultsOne of his alleged sexual and indecent assault victims was told that complaining would 'undermine the war against Satan', court hearsCornwallLive · 4 Nov, 14:28

In this story: Steven Wild · Methodist Church · Cornwall · Truro Crown Court

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