An Anglican rector who served in the Church of Ireland in Co Wicklow 20 years ago is alleged to have groomed and sexually abused girls in a UK parish youth group before he moved to Ireland.
The Church of Ireland joined other Anglican dioceses in the UK – where Rev Kesh Govan served before 2004 – in issuing notices about “serious safeguarding disclosures” concerning the late cleric.
The notices were published following an independent investigation in Australia – where Govan served from 2014 – commissioned by the Anglican Church in South Queensland into allegations of abuse.
Govan (59), who was originally from Bolton in Greater Manchester, died by suicide in Australia last November after female members of the youth group alleged abuse by the Anglican cleric.
He worked as a minister in Worsley in Greater Manchester from 2000 to 2004 when he took up a position as rector of Blessington in Co Wicklow serving Kilbride, Ballymore Eustace and Hollywood.
The United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough said they were “aware that an independent investigation commissioned by the Anglican Church in Southern Queensland, Australia, has shared serious safeguarding disclosures relating to the late Revd Kesh Govan, who previously served here”.
It continued: “News of this nature is deeply distressing, above all for those who have experienced abuse, and also for families, friends and communities.”
The Irish diocese encouraged anyone directly affected to contact its safeguarding team, the State’s child and family agency Tusla and the HSE safeguarding portal.
The abuse is alleged to have occurred between 2000 and 2004 during his ministry in the Church of England dioceses of Manchester and Lichfield.
The diocese of Manchester issued a similar statement to the one published by the Irish church.
The English diocese added: “Those who disclosed his abuse to the independent investigation commissioned by the Anglican Church [in] Southern Queensland have requested that neither the youth group nor the diocese in which it was located be identified, in order to safeguard their confidentiality.”
Of Indian extraction and known as “the Singing Vicar”, Govan was born in Bolton and converted from Hinduism to Christianity following a serious illness in his early 20s.
In 2007 he returned to England from Ireland, serving in the diocese of Lichfield until 2010 where he was a vicar.
In 2014, he emigrated to Australia and was serving at St Stephen’s Church in the Brisbane suburb of Coorparoo at the time of his death.
While in Wicklow, he told local media in 2005 how he had found information about the vacancy in the Irish parish online and thought it funny that a town called Blessington would need a new pastor.
Then believed to be the only vicar of an Indian background in Dublin and Glendalough dioceses, the report said he was “clearly an extremely popular person in both the Protestant and Catholic communities”.
“As an indication of how well he has integrated, he was the guest speaker at the local GAA dinner dance this year,” said the local report.
Govan was married with three children.