Ex-Olympic swimming coach Derry O'Rourke found guilty of raping teenage girl

A jury at the Central Criminal Court has convicted Derry O'Rourke, a former Irish Olympic swimming coach, of raping and sexually abusing a teenage girl over three decades ago. O'Rourke, aged 78 and resident in Cavan, had pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and 15 counts of indecent assault alleged to have occurred at a school between October 1989 and June 1990, when the complainant was aged 13 to 14 years. The trial judge directed the jury to acquit O'Rourke of four charges, leaving 12 offences for consideration. The jury unanimously convicted him on all remaining counts following five hours and 27 minutes of deliberations. Justice Melanie Greally remanded O'Rourke in custody pending sentencing on 30 July. O'Rourke has previous convictions for sexual offences dating back to 1998, including rape and indecent assault involving multiple victims. A victim impact statement has been ordered for the sentencing hearing.