'Cult' priest guilty of rape and assault of women
Former priest Chris Brain has been convicted of raping and sexually assaulting 13 women who were members of his Sheffield-based congregation. The court heard that Brain operated a cult-like environment where he abused his position of authority to exploit vulnerable followers.
Why it matters
This case highlights the severe consequences of institutional abuse and the long-term trauma inflicted by predatory figures within religious organizations.
Image source, South Yorkshire Police Image caption, Chris Brain has now been convicted of sexually assaulting 13 women who were part of the Nine O'Clock Service
A former priest who established a "cult" within the Church of England has been found guilty of raping a woman in his congregation.
Chris Brain was also convicted of four counts of indecent assault against three other women who were part of the Nine O'Clock Service in Sheffield in the 1980s and 1990s.
The 69-year-old was found guilty of the offences after a retrial at Inner London Crown Court, having already been found guilty of 17 indecent assaults against nine women at a trial last year.
Brain, previously of Wilmslow in Greater Manchester, is in custody awaiting sentencing at a later date.
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