Internet Reacts to Former Priest Convicted of Child Abuse Receiving Only a Two-Year Community Order

Wolverhampton Crown Court sentenced Edward Phillips-Smith, a former priestt convicted of child sexual abuse, to a two-year community order on Monday, 20 July.

The 76-year-old was already serving a 32-month prison sentence for sexually abusing schoolboys in the early 1980s. He pleaded guilty to additional child sexual abuse offences that came to light after his earlier conviction, resulting in the two-year community order.

The decision prompted widespread criticism online, with many users describing the sentence as lenient.

'There's something wrong with these judges. Shit like this is the reason I won't report what happened to me when I was a child. Judge's hard drive needs checking,' one Reddit user wrote.

The Former Priest's History of Abuse

In January 2024, Phillips-Smith was convicted of child sexual abuse and sentenced to 32 months in prison. He was released on licence in May 2025. He was found guilty of assaulting his victims at his Brewood home while working as a priest and school chaplain in the 1980s, positions that gave him access to boys at St Peter's School.

Widespread media coverage of the case in 2024 led to two more complainants coming forward. The first said he had been around 12 or 13 years old at the time of the alleged abuse.

Prosecutor James Wallace told the court that the first complainant viewed Phillips-Smith as the 'cool and trendy teacher' and had gone to his accommodation to see a Scalextric set.

The priest reportedly became irritated after allowing the complainant to play with the Scalextric set and told the boy he had something else to show him in his bedroom, where he allegedly stripped the victim before assaulting him.

Wallace also read the second complainant's statement to the court, describing how he was assaulted at the former priest's Brewood home. The victim said he had been allowed to stay overnight because Phillips-Smith was trusted by his family through their local church.

Both complainants described the lasting impact the abuse had on their lives. Wallace told the court that the first survivor had suffered in silence since the abuse and felt 'deprived of the sanctuary and comfort' of places of worship.

The second complainant said: 'This crime has been eating away at my mind for over 40 years and it's not going away any time soon.' He added that he still experiences sleepless nights.

Questions Over 'Justice' Continue

The sentence was widely criticised online, with one Reddit user saying Phillips-Smith should be imprisoned alongside 'the country's migrant rapists' before 'throwing away the key.'

Several others criticised what they saw as the justice system's treatment of survivors of sexual abuse. 'I swear judges just don't give a shit about children being abused. Do they just think they'll get over it?' one commenter wrote.

Another user referred to the former priest's reported health, writing: 'From a glass half full perspective, he has terminal cancer and is expected to live 2 years max.'

As online debate continues, the case has prompted renewed discussion about whether sentences for historic child sexual abuse adequately reflect the seriousness of the offences.