Benet’s Top Monk resigns amid Sex Abuse Scandal

Spiritual director Father Francis Davison steps down amid claims of cover up at Catholic boarding school


Father Francis Davidson, the spiritual director of St Benet’s, was accused of covering up child sex abuse during his time at Fort Augustus Abbey School in the Highlands.

Fort Augustus Abbey | BBC

Fort Augustus, a Catholic boarding school for boys in Scotland, was run by the same Benedictine order from which St Benet’s takes its name.

10 monks have been identified and accused of sexual abuse including molestation and beating of pupils whilst Francis Davidson was in charge in the latest ‘paedophile priest’ case to emerge in Scotland.

Father Francis Davidson

A BBC documentary, Sins of our Fathers, began to investigate allegations of abuse at the school, and claims began to emerge of a ‘cover up’ by the late Benet’s superior.

Hugh Kennedy, who has come forward with the story of his abuse told the BBC “I did tell Fr Davidson, who was the headmaster”, yet police were never involved and Davidson allowed Kennedy’s abuser to convince his mother that his claims were a ‘non story.’

Davidson’s role at St Benet’s included the wellbeing of undergraduate monks in training, for which he has subsequently declared himself unfit to continue:

“As investigations into matters at Fort Augustus Abbey School and Carlekemp Priory School are ongoing, I have stepped aside from my role as religious superior at St. Benet’s Hall.”