Prince Charles has refused to provide evidence in a child sexual abuse inquiry in the UK that is, investigating how the allegations against disgraced former Church of England Bishop Peter Ball were handled.
The inquiry is currently hearing evidence relating to alleged abuse carried out by Ball, who knew the prince well and exchanged multiple letters with him.
The Telegraph reports lawyers acting for the Prince of Wales used human rights law to block the request that asked him to send a witness statement, instead sending a signed letter.
Lead cousnel to the investigation Fiona Scolding, said that the prince’s lawyers had previously argued that compelling him to give evidence was outside their authority.
Ball was jailed for 32 months in October 2015 for abusing 18 young men over a period of thirty years.
He was released in February last year after serving half his sentence.
The inquiry is currently examining how the Church of England handled the allegations of sexual abuse.
Charles’ lawyers have argued that asking for a witness statement was ‘unfair’ and the request was constituting ‘intensely private and confidential’ personal data.
The prince will not give evidence in person but will have the statement read out at the hearing on Friday.
It is believed Charles’ statement will say that he was ‘not aware at the time of the significance or impact of the caution that Peter Ball had accepted’, including the fact that a caution involves admission of guilt, according to The Telegraph.
Former bishop Peter Ball was convicted 22 years after the abuse allegations originally surfaced.
Ball eventually admitted to sexual misconduct in a public office and two counts of indecent assault.
The court heard that Ball convinced some of his victims to strip naked to pray and even suggested they submit to beatings between 1977 and 1992.
The first of his victims to come forward took his own life in 2012 after hearing that Sussex Police had reopened the case.
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