St Ives Methodist Figure on Trial at Truro Crown Court
Where the Case Is Being Heard and Why It Matters Here
Truro Crown Court has become the focus for many of us in Cornwall this month as the trial of Steven Wild, 72, continues into its second week. Wild, of Steeple Close in St Ives, faces ten counts of sexual assault and one of indecent assault involving adult women who were members of the Methodist Church at the time. He denies every charge.
The alleged incidents, which span 2004 to 2019, are said to have happened in several places that many of us know well: the Isles of Scilly, across Cornwall, and in Devon. The case also reaches beyond the county, with allegations placed in Southport, Bristol and Derbyshire. For a region where church halls, chapels and community groups often sit at the heart of village life, the courtroom in Truro is a reminder of how much trust is placed in local institutions. Those of us who have grown up with these congregations, or who attend them now, will recognise the familiar settings described in evidence: shared tables at gatherings, small meetings and the close-knit networks that make Cornish parishes what they are.
It is important to remember that these are allegations, not established facts. The jury will decide the outcome based on the evidence presented in court.
The People and Organisations at the Centre of the Evidence
The trial has heard from a woman who worked alongside Wild and who describes a pattern of unwanted physical contact at church gatherings. She told the court she felt frozen, frightened and unsure who she could turn to. Her account of colleagues dismissing his behaviour as part of his character is difficult to hear, and it will resonate with anyone who has ever felt that a concern was brushed aside.
She also told the court that she did not feel able to raise her concerns with the safeguarding officer for her district, whom she considered too close to Wild. That detail points to a wider question for the Methodist Church in Cornwall. An audit of the Cornwall District in 2021 reportedly found serious gaps in safeguarding record keeping and policy, and the court heard that the circuit was aware of Wild’s tactile behaviour.
For the churches, volunteers and staff who give their time across our towns and villages, this trial is a painful moment. Most of them work tirelessly to keep people safe. Their reputation, and the confidence of the congregations they serve, now depends on how seriously the lessons from this case are taken.
What Residents Should Know and What Happens Next
If you attend a church, chapel or community group in Cornwall, it is reasonable to ask how your own organisation handles safeguarding. Does it have a clear, up-to-date policy? Is it easy to find the named safeguarding contact, and can you be sure that person is independent of the people you might need to report? Asking these questions calmly, through your group’s leaders or trustees, is a constructive step that does not assume the worst of anyone.
If you have experienced inappropriate behaviour in any setting, you can contact the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency. Support is also available through local sexual violence services and national helplines, and you do not need to have made a formal report to ask for help.
The trial is expected to continue at Truro Crown Court, and we will keep reporting from the public gallery as evidence is heard. Verdicts will only come once the jury has considered everything presented. Meanwhile, Cornwall’s visitor economy, from the harbours of St Ives to the surf breaks near Fistral Beach in Newquay, depends on communities that feel safe and trusted. Whether you live here or simply plan to go to Newquay this summer, that trust is something we all share.
Source: Church worker told ‘tactile behaviour was in leader’s DNA’, court told
