Community tribute to Father Bennett a year after killing

Mar 20 2008 by Carys Jones, Cynon Valley Leader

A MEMORIAL service has been held at St Fagan’s Church, Aberdare, to mark the first anniversary of the death of Father Paul Bennett.

Parishioners gathered last Friday night to fondly remember and celebrate the life of a “dedicated and committed” priest.

Father Paul Bennett, aged 59, was fatally stabbed in the grounds of the church, outside the Trecynon vicarage, as his wife Georgina looked on in horror.

At the request of Father Bennett’s family – who have since moved from the vicarage they called home for four years – the service was a “quiet occasion for parishioners only.”

But the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, asked everyone to remember Father Bennett and his family in their prayers.

“It has been a very difficult year for the parish and it is going to take a long time for it to recover from such a tragedy,” said Dr Morgan.

“The thoughts and prayers of the whole church remain with the family as they face this painful anniversary.”

Special prayers were also said at St John Baptist School, Aberdare, in memory of their parish priest and school governor.

“Father Paul is still greatly missed,” said headteacher, Dr Sue Mitchell.

“He did so much to support the pupils and staff.”

Probe into Evans’ treatment
A HEALTHCARE watchdog has announced it is carrying out an independent review to determine why killer Geraint Evans was not identified as a danger before he fatally attacked a popular parish priest.

It comes on the first anniversary of the brutal killing of Father Paul Bennett, on the doorstep of his vicarage at St Fagan’s Trecynon.

His family have since moved out of the vicarage but have remained within the close-knit community that has supported them since that fateful day on March 14 last year.

The Healthcare Inspectorate Wales has confirmed it has been leading the inquiry on behalf of the Welsh Assembly since February.

It is expected to question why – despite having already stabbed two other people, and attempting to commit suicide by slashing his own throat – Evans never underwent any psychiatric assessments until after Father Bennett’s death. It is because of his disturbing behaviour, previous offending and a family history of mental illness, many believe someone could have intervened and prevented Father Bennett’s death.

Evans lived in a flat just yards from the vicarage and had been stalking Father Bennett “for considerable time”.

The parish priest was stabbed 22 times by Evans.

Family wants answers
THE FAMILY of Father Paul Bennett welcome the review into how his killer Geraint Evans was not identified as a danger before the fatal attacking.

Evans pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility during a hearing at Cardiff Crown Court last October.

After the hearing, Julie Hanchet, cousin of Father Bennett’s widow Georgina, said: “Someone must have known how disturbed this man was and could have intervened. Where were the mental health services?

“We need to know where the failings have been. Our family needs answers. This was a premeditated, planned and savage attack. We feel that the legal system has failed Paul and ourselves.”

The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, has also welcomed the inquiry.

“I am very grateful to the Welsh Assembly Government and to the Minister for Health and Social Services for agreeing to review mental health services in Rhondda Cynon Taff and for the ready co-operation of the county council in that review,” said Dr Morgan.

In a statement, the Welsh Assembly said: “An independent external review into the homicide of Father Paul Bennett is under way and will report later this year.”

Mother welcomes investigation
THE mother of Geraint Evans has welcomed the Welsh Assembly inquiry.

Carried out by Health Inspectorate Wales, it will look into why Evans was not known to mental health services.

Caroline Evans will give evidence at the inquiry and said there were questions she wanted answered – including why her son was not offered help when he slit his throat outside the vicarage before the killing.

“Everybody just seemed to close the doors,” said Mrs Evans, who says she still loves her son and does not believe he is evil.

“Nobody seemed interested and in my view – okay, people slit their wrists and they get sectioned,” she said.

“But my son slit his throat with a craft knife blade. They just put him in an ambulance and sent him over to the hospital.

“Geraint walked out of the hospital and came back home to the flat.”

Mrs Evans said it was in 2005 she first realised her son was seriously troubled.

He told her he had been hearing voices and believed he was God.

She invited members of a church to her home to speak to him and later she said he seemed to settle down.

“I never thought there was anything wrong,” she said. “I thought Geraint had got better.”

But immediately after the killing, Mrs Evans said she went to the flat he was living in overlooking St Fagan’s Church and found 29 lids of aerosol cans that her son had been inhaling – a habit which she was only partially aware of.

She said there were two sides to her son – good and bad.

“The good Geraint was the most loving, wonderful child a mother could ever wish for,” she said.

“But when those voices came and took over him he was horrendous.”

Mrs Evans is warning other parents whose children might have similar problems to be vigilant.

“Fight and get the help that I never had,” she said. “I would never like any other family to go through what myself and Mrs Bennett have to go through.”