THE woman who was abused by a Worcester vicar has condemned his freedom and claimed he will forever remain a threat to young girls.

The woman has spoken out against the sentence given to the Rev Nduna Mpunzi - vicar of St Barnabas with Christ Church, Tolladine.

The 61 year old walked free from court last week despite admitting that he sexually touched the woman when she was a teenager.

As previously reported in your Worcester News, the Judge said the offences committed by Mpunzi, who also assaulted his wife, were so serious they deserved a 16-month jail term.

But he gave him a three-year community rehabilitation order, saying it was the only way he could ensure he attended a sex offenders' work programme Furious with the ruling, his victim has branded the vicar "a danger to the public".

"He abused me for years," she said. "He groomed me. He would be with me and then go and act like the perfect vicar. I can't believe he's free."

A relative of the victim described Mpunzi, who massaged the victim's legs before touching her private parts, as a "very real threat" to young girls.

"We are disgusted by the sentence - it's like a slap in the face. These were serious charges and he is being allowed to walk free and even to have a future in the church."

The judge also ordered Mpunzi to register as a sex offender for seven years.

"We understood he would be on the register for life," said the victim.

"We've been let down by the courts, the police and the church."

Mpunzi remains suspended from the church until a clergy disciplinary hearing.

But one of his parishioners said she too had lost faith in the church, after it failed to keep the congregation informed.

"Everyone we have asked from within the church say they don't know anything," said the woman, who attends St Barnabas and wanted to remain anonymous.

"It just seems to be that they are sweeping what he did under the carpet and saying to us, by keeping quiet, that people in the cloth don't do things like this.

"I wouldn't like my children or grandchildren being around him and we now find it difficult to trust anyone."

The woman said attendance at the church had fallen since Mpunzi appeared in court.

A spokesman for the Diocese of Worcester said a full statement would be printed in the next issue of the diocese magazine - Worcester Dioceson News - and a statement had been read out during Sunday service.

"We are deeply saddened by the hurt caused," she said.

"Counselling and pastoral care was offered to those who needed it from the start."

She added that the disciplinary hearing was an ongoing process involving the Bishop of Worcester and his legal advisors and there was no end date available.