- Published
A woman has spoken out for the first time about an alleged sexual assault by a monk who lived on a private island off the coast of west Wales.
asserted
who → publish → Wales
Brother Titus Keet, 78, has also been accused of sexually harassing and sexually assaulting a former Caldey Island employee as well as giving women naked photos of himself.
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Keet → accuse → himself
He denied the allegations saying "a woman who feels rejected can become very vicious" and said the pictures were not sexual, but he would reflect on his behaviour.
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he → deny → behaviour
The claims, revealed in a new BBC podcast Dark Island, were investigated by Dyfed-Powys Police but there was no further action.
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claims → reveal → Police
Caldey Island is off the coast of Tenby, Pembrokeshire, and is owned by a group of Cistercian monks.
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Island → own → monks
Single mum Natalie Roberts was a regular visitor from the early 2000s and would spend holidays there with her two sons.
She told the Dark Island podcast that Keet would give her photos of himself posing naked on beaches on Caldey, often accompanied by a poem.
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Keet → spend → poem
He shared photos with other women too.
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He → share → women
In 2016, Natalie went for a walk from Caldey to nearby St Margaret's Island with her sons and a friend.
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Natalie → go → sons
She did not know Keet would be there.
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Keet → know → ?
The walk is quite dangerous and you have to scramble across slippery rocks to get from one island to the other.
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you → have → other
Natalie claims it was then, when Keet was walking behind her, he repeatedly sexually assaulted her over her clothes.
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he → claim → clothes
She said she was horrified, adding: "I was so angry because I knew this was an absolute violation.
"
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this → say → ?
You know, this wasn't spiritual.
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this → know → ?
She said she was stunned but did not say anything to Keet because she thought he would deny it and she might be asked to leave the island.
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she → say → island
Natalie said: "I think the worst thing it did, if I'm completely honest, it took away my whole spiritual belief in Catholicism."
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it → say → Catholicism
But Keet claimed she turned "wickedly against him" after he rejected her attempts to seduce him.
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he → claim → him
It is also claimed Keet made several unwelcome sexual advances towards an employee of the abbey.
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Keet → claim → abbey
Allegedly, he touched her breasts and bottom, commented on her body and referred to her genitals, despite being asked not to.
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he → touch → genitals
Other allegations included making sexualised comments while showing nude photos of himself and pictures of naked women.
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allegations → include → women
It is claimed Keet was confronted at the time but said UK law did not apply to him as he was a Dutch citizen, that he could do as he liked as he was on a private island and allegedly, he called the employee "too sensitive".
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he → claim → employee
He is also accused of saying the woman was lucky to receive sexual attention from him and "women welcomed male attention".
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women → accuse → attention
It is also claimed the monk told her she would lose her job if she complained.
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she → claim → job
Keet said the allegations were false and quoted The Bible in his statement to the podcast: "To all who are pure themselves, everything is pure; but to those who have been corrupted and lack faith, nothing can be pure [Letter to Titus 1,15]."
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nothing → say → Titus
He said the employee had made up the allegations in the hope the monastery would pay her money and that she was paid to "keep quiet".
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she → say → money
"If it was not so sad, it would be laughable, how she could make up so many allegations spread out over three years, in which we had co-operated so pleasantly together.
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we → make → which
Very sad," he added.
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he → add → ?
In response to the allegation from Natalie, he said: "This is a classic example of a woman who felt frustrated in her advances, disappointed in her expectations, feeling rejected and then turns against the other in a very vicious way."
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who → say → way
Natalie denied that claim and said he was in a position of "significant power" and she was in a position of vulnerability.
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she → deny → vulnerability
She added he used victim-blaming language and had attempted to discredit her.
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he → add → her
The abbot of Caldey Abbey, Father Jan Rossey, said they referred complaints in line with their safeguarding procedures.
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they → say → procedures
He said in 2024, Keet was "required to leave" Caldey Island and will not be allowed back.
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Keet → say → Island
This was years after the employee made a complaint of sexual assault.
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employee → make → assault
Keet has moved to another monastery.
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Keet → move → monastery
About 50,000 day trippers catch the boat from the popular seaside resort of Tenby to visit Caldey island every year.
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trippers → catch → island
It is owned by the order of monks that live there, and is only 1.5 miles (2.4km) long and a mile (1.6km) wide.
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that → own → monks
Visitors who stay overnight can do so in the guesthouse or other properties the monks own.
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monks → stay → guesthouse
There are also about 30 lay people who live there.
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who → be → ?
Caldey Island was once known for being "crime free", but in 2017, six women settled a civil claim against the abbey.
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women → know → abbey
They had been sexually abused as children by the monk Thaddeus Kotik.
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They → abuse → monk
The former abbot Robert O'Brien knew about the abuse but did not report it.
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abbot → know → it
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia
